The Damage Done
by Ella Turner
Summary: Edward rescues a 3 year old Bella, and brings her home to live with his family of vampires. After an almost tragic event, he leaves for 13 years only to return to a very resentful teenage Bella. Its better than it sounds, promise. Try it out
1. Found

**Yay! Another story :) I am still new to this and am definately not the greatest writer, but hopefully you guys will enjoy this one too. The first few chapters will skip through pretty quickly, just because it is sensless to put a lot of detail in till later (you will see why eventually) and some parts may seem random (like the one at the end of this chapter) but I do it to show her affect on the family, and to keep the chapters semi long. (If you read my first story Finding Forever then you know my chapters were always kinda short) But anyway, enough talk... read on!**

**I don't own Twilight or the characters, and rated M just in case it gets saucy later ;)**

He walked out of the bookstore, looking down at the novel he had to buy for class. This year they actually had something on the list that he hadn't already read. He was almost excited; maybe he wouldn't be so bored in English class, even though he had taken this class at least ninety times. Being a vampire had its perks, but most of the time, it was the worst fate anyone could ask for.

He walked to his car, while listening to the thoughts of the people all around him. A tall woman worrying about what she would cook that night, a bald man wondering if he forgot to lock his front door, a girl that looked to be in her early twenties noticing how good looking Edward was. It made him laugh, if the poor girl only knew what he really was, she wouldn't think he was so good looking. Just then another person's thoughts invaded his mind.

_She's been walking alone for some time now. I wonder if anyone would notice if she were to go missing. How many people will be able to describe me if someone came looking for her? _

Edward's stomach seemed to be in knots after hearing the man's thoughts. He looked across the street and noticed there was a park. That's where he had to have been. He couldn't let this guy get near whomever he was thinking about. Edward had hunted with Emmett that morning, so he would be strong enough to go through the park and not harm anyone. He ran across the street, into the small park, and followed the man's thoughts until he found him, looking intently at a very small girl.

The first thing he noticed was her scent; it had hit him like a speeding truck. It was so strong; he had to do everything within his power not to attack this poor girl. His throat was burning so bad that he made it a point to stop breathing, and after he was able to calm down, he finally got a good look at her. He was taken back by her beauty. _Humans aren't normally that beautiful or pale?_ Edward thought to himself. When she looked up at him, he saw the unshed tears in her eyes, and the pink coloring on her cheeks, and knew there was no question that she was human. He looked around, where were her parents?

"Do you need some help?" Edward asked her, keeping his voice low. He looked around again and found the guy that had been thinking about taking the small girl earlier. He looked him dead in the eyes, and let his gaze linger at the guy.

_This guy can definitely describe me now. Next time._

Edward mentally memorized every detail about this man, so he could draw up a poster and hang it in nearby parks with a warning. He would also tell Carlisle and see if there was anything he could do about it. The man turned and left. Edward turned his attention once again, to the lost little girl.

"I lost daddy," She said. Her big chocolate eyes were searching Edward's now golden eyes. Her long mahogany hair hung in loose curls down her back, and her cheeks were tinted a pale pink. The girl couldn't have been older than four years old, what kind of father would leave their kid at a park? He then noticed something else. He couldn't read her mind. It was almost as if she wasn't thinking.

"When did you see him last?" Edward asked, dropping to one knee so he could hear her better. Immediately he realized that it was a stupid idea to get closer, because even though he wasn't breathing, her scent was so strong and appealing, it was invading his senses anyway.

"He said he was going to be with mommy," The little girl said, wiping the tears from her eyes. Edward thought to himself that maybe the couple got caught up and were looking for her right now. Again he looked around, but the only adults he saw already had children with them.

"Where's your mommy then?" Edward asked. He continued to try to hear her thoughts, but he couldn't hear anything. This was confusing, it had never happened before.

"Heaven. Daddy said the angels took her. But she has to be coming back, mommy never stays gone long," The little girl said, now looking around desperately. A slow pain had gathered in Edward's chest. Her mother had died, and she clearly didn't understand what that meant. And her father seemed to be depressed enough to want to join her, but decided to leave his daughter in a park in the process. Hatred wasn't a feeling Edward was used to unless it was aimed at himself, but he truly hated this girl's father already.

"What's your name sweetie, and how old are you?" He asked the girl, getting her attention again.

"I'm Bella, and I'm three!" She said holding up three fingers proudly, momentarily forgetting about her missing father. Edward didn't know what to do, he couldn't leave her here, and he didn't know if her father would actually come back for her, he didn't know anything. Just then, his cell phone rang. He told Bella to wait just a second while he answered his phone.

"Alice?" Edward asked. His sister was able to see visions of the future; hopefully she would have some insight on what to do.

"Edward, you have to bring her home. She doesn't have any family left. Both parents were only children, and her grandparent's are dead," She said.

"What about the father?" He asked. Bella looked over to him with curious eyes, but turned away a second later when she saw a butterfly.

"They'll find his body in the bathroom in less than an hour. You don't want her to be there. I won't tell anyone anything until you get here. We can decide from there," She said. He hung up the phone, and looked over to Bella. She was clearly exhausted, and really beginning to look upset and scared.

"I'm Edward. Would you like to come to my house and meet my family?" Edward asked, not knowing how else to approach this subject. Bella nodded and rubbed her eyes, yawning.

"Eward," She mispronounced his name, and it made him smile. "I'm sleepy," She finished.

"It's okay, I can carry you. Is that alright?" He asked, not wanting to do anything that would scare her. She nodded again, and willing walked into his arms. He lifted her easily, and she laid her head on his shoulder, almost nuzzling into his neck. The close proximity wasn't smart, considering he was doing everything in his power to not attack the fragile girl. It would have been so easy to kill her, and with no family, no one would notice she was gone. He quickly pushed the feeling aside, hating himself for even thinking it.

He had no car-seat in his car, so he decided that he would walk home, and once Bella fell asleep, he began to run. It didn't take him long to get there, and never once did Bella even stir. When he walked in, he saw six pairs of eyes on him. His adoptive parents Carlisle and Esme, and his adoptive siblings Alice, Jasper, Emmett and Rosalie. Jasper must have caught Bella's scent because he was up in less than a second and out the back door.

"At least he's strong enough to walk out now," Alice said, almost cheery. Edward still held Bella in his arms as he explained everything to the rest of his family. Esme was very maternal, and instantly she wanted to keep the little girl. She didn't say it out loud, but Edward heard her thoughts.

"Well, I guess we should take a family vote," Carlisle said. Edward already knew everyone's vote, as he heard them all.

"Yes," Esme beamed. _Oh please can we keep her? I would love to be able to raise a child._

"Yes!" Alice chimed. _Oh yeah, we're definitely keeping her, I can see it. We will be best friends, and I will take her shopping, and we will do each other's nails._ Edward grimaced at Alice's thoughts, already feeling sorry for Bella.

"Sure, we can always use a little squirt around here," Emmett said. _I could teach her things, and she looks adorable._ _Edward if you tell anyone what I just thought I will kill you!_ Edward smiled at Emmett.

"Definitely not! It's too dangerous to keep a human here! And what happens when she starts to notice we aren't exactly normal? Rosalie said, brushing her long blonde hair back from her shoulders. _I do not want to have to move again, this could ruin everything._

Jasper was leaning against the back wall, which was far enough to not be completely taken over by her scent. He too stopped breathing for Bella's safety.

"No, I don't want to be the reason she dies. I don't know if I could deal with her scent." Jasper answered, looking down in shame. _You're strong, be stronger. You cannot hurt her. She's so fragile._

Edward had realized that he had been breathing for the last few minutes, he seemed to be getting a little used to her scent. It still was strong though.

"I say yes, she doesn't have anyone else. I don't want her to have to go to an orphanage or risk being with a family that's not good enough." Edward heard himself answer, not knowing why he cared so much. Esme and Alice smiled at him.

"Well, it seems as if more have voted to keep Bella. We are going to have to be extremely careful with her. Jasper and Edward are the only ones that might have a problem restraining themselves, but they are both very strong. I think everything will be okay," Carlisle said, mostly to Esme. Jasper and Edward both felt a bit of shame, knowing that everyone else in their family was strong enough to not be affected by human blood.

Esme and Alice let out squeals of excitement and Rosalie rolled her eyes, and walked out of the room. Edward looked down at the little girl that was still sleeping in his arms and smiled. _Welcome home._ He thought as she snuggled closer to him, letting out a small sigh.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* (**my version of a page break because I don't know how to do one**) ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

It had been several months that Bella had been living at the Cullen house, and she was already accustomed to everything that went on there. She was too young to notice that they were all different and wouldn't eat ever, and never seemed to sleep. Everything else was pretty normal, so she wouldn't think twice about anything until she was older.

They had explained to her what happened to her parents, and this time, she understood that they weren't coming back. She cried a lot, and would wake up frequently in the night wanting her mommy or daddy, but someone would be in there comforting her, and eventually she would be okay.

She didn't start calling Carlisle and Esme "mommy and daddy" and they were fine with her using their first names. She loved them like parents though, and they had loved her like a daughter. Everyone except for Rosalie and Jasper had utterly adored her, and secretly Jasper adored her too, he just wouldn't let himself get too close to her for her own safety. Bella could tell that he would keep his distance, and often times would try and get closer to him.

One afternoon, Alice and Edward watched from the doorway smiling as they spotted Bella trying to sneak up on Jasper. He was on the couch, reading a book, and she was behind the couch moving slowly toward him. He had already picked up her scent, and started to get ready to stand up, but a wave of emotion hit him, sadness. He looked behind him to see little Bella almost in tears.

"Jazz, how come you don't like me?" She asked innocently, she had tears in her eyes, but she wasn't crying yet.

_I am such a monster._

Edward heard Jasper's thought, and instantly felt bad for him. He knew how hard it was being around Bella, but he was slowly becoming stronger. Jasper was the newest in the family, so it was taking him a lot longer to be comfortable around humans. But Bella was a special case; her scent was like no other any of them had come across.

Jasper walked over to the little girl, and carefully picked her up, and hugged her to him. He still hadn't noticed Alice or Edward watching. They both saw softness to his face that they hadn't seen before.

"I do like you, Bella." Jasper whispered to her. He walked over to the couch with her still in his arms, and sat back down with the book, and continued to read while she snuggled closer to him.

_Come on Jasper, you're strong. You can do this, be strong for her. God it's burning… oh well. Deal with it._

Edward was proud of him; Jasper was never someone you would call sweet, unless it was to Alice. But Bella was bringing out a side of him that no one in their family had seen before, and it was a good change.

_Oh crap. She's asleep. If I move her she's going to wake up. Why does she feel so sad? She's dreaming of her parents again. I'll fix that, I'll make her happy. There you go sweetie, you can rest better now._

Edward smiled softly and quietly pulled Alice away before Jasper would sense they were there. Jasper's gift was that he could manipulate and feel emotions of those around him. He was feeling Bella's sadness so he gave her happiness instead. It was very endearing, and if Alice were able to cry, she probably would be. This little girl was changing these vampires for the better. It was shocking how this one little girl had so much power over them.

**Reviews help me know if I should continue, or if I suck and should quit. I also like feedback to know if something isn't making sense lol! So please, review! **


	2. Decisions

**A/N: Two chapters in one night, just because I'm not sure if it is working lol. I swear this story starts to pick up soon! I just have to get some of it out of the way to move on to the better part of the story :) **

Bella was now four and they celebrated her birthday by going all out and decorating every inch of the house. Alice was in charge, so everyone knew that it would be wonderful. Edward and Emmett took Bella into the woods that was just past their backyard, and brought her to her favorite spot, while Alice got everything ready. Bella's favorite spot wasn't too far from their house, there was a small creek that passed through the woods, an old tree had fallen over years before, and the huge trunk made a bridge across the creek, and Bella loved to go there and sit on the tree trunk.

Emmett held her left hand while Edward held her right one, and they walked to the middle of the tree trunk and sat down. Their legs were swinging above the water, and Bella laughed at how they were all swinging at the same time. Emmett reached over and picked up a handful of pebbles, and held them out to Bella. She smiled and took them in her tiny fist, and began throwing them one by one into the creek.

"So how old are you now, squirt?" Emmett asked, already knowing the answer.

"I'm four! How old are you?" Bella asked.

"I'm 18, and so is Rosalie and Jasper. Edward and Alice are 17," Emmett answered. This was routine for them, they asked each other all the time. Bella did that with a lot of things, but no one cared.

"Eddie says Rosalie acts younger than me," Bella said innocently. Emmett looked at Edward, who smiled sheepishly at him. Emmett laughed.

"Sometimes she does," Emmett answered. They sat in silence for a few minutes when Edward stood up.

"They're probably almost done; I'm going to go check. I'll come get you if everything is finished," Edward told Emmett quietly so Bella couldn't hear. He turned to Bella, "Stay with Emmett this time, last time you followed me, Emmett couldn't find you and almost had a heart attack," Edward said with a laugh. Bella gave Edward her biggest innocent smile and Edward melted.

"Okay Eddie," Bella agreed. Emmett held her hand and they walked back to the bank of the creek and he watched as Edward took off toward the house. He looked back to Bella, but she wasn't there. He quickly looked around, and couldn't see her. Edward was already out of sight, and Bella wasn't following him. Emmett panicked.

"Bella?" He called. He ran around, frantically looking for her. She wasn't on the tree trunk; the water was too shallow to drown in, where was she? Her scent was everywhere; it was too hard to tell which place held it the strongest.

"BELLA!" He yelled. He heard her laughter and let out a sigh of relief. She came out from behind a nearby tree.

"I'm right here Emmett!" Bella said. Emmett ran to her, picked her up, and crushed her into a bear hug.

"Bella, you can't scare me like that," He said quietly.

"I'm sorry Emmett, I was just playing," Bella said, her big chocolate eyes were concerned now, and her lips were set into a small pout. She hugged him as tight as she could.

"It's okay. I just got worried something happened to you," He said.

"That won't happen. You, Eddie, and Jasper all told me you guys wouldn't let anything happen to me ever," Bella said laying her head on his shoulder peacefully. Emmett chuckled.

"That's right, squirt. You'll always be taken care of," He said. He saw Edward emerge from the trees, and motion that it was okay to come back. Bella squirmed when she saw him. Emmett let her down and ran to Edward. Edward was Bella's favorite, mainly because she felt the most comfortable with him. He was the one that found her, so she formed a bond to him that she didn't have with anyone else in the family.

He smiled and lifted her gently and gave her a big hug. She giggled and hugged back. Edward was the one that would always help her sleep if she couldn't. He would sing, hum, play the piano, or simply talk to her until she was finally resting. Sometimes it took up to an hour, but it always worked.

"You're always cold. All of you are, we should go buy you guys better jackets," Bella said innocently. Emmett and Edward shared a glance. Eventually they were going to have to explain things to Bella. No one was looking forward to that.

"Well, it's YOUR birthday, so let's go see what everyone bought you," Edward said, giving her a light squeeze.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

The time had finally come where they made the decision that they were going to have to tell Bella about what they really were. All of them were scared of the outcome, and what scared them more was that Alice couldn't see what Bella's reaction would be.

It was ten thirty, and Bella was sound asleep in her bed after Edward had played the lullaby that he had written for her. Her door was slightly ajar so they could hear her if she woke up. She did that at least once or twice a week. She always had nightmares, and a lot of them had been about her parents.

They were all in the den, speaking quietly, trying to come to a final decision. Rosalie sat on the couch reading a magazine, trying to block out what was going on around her. It wasn't that she hated Bella, she was threatened by her. This one human girl could ruin their existence, and no one seemed to care about that.

"I say we need to tell her before she starts kindergarten. That gives us about two weeks, the sooner, the better," Alice said.

"How do you know she's not going to run around telling her little friends our secret?" Rosalie hissed.

"Bella loves us. Even you, Rose. If we told her how important this was, she would keep our secret," Emmett said. He loved Rosalie, but Bella had become a topic of many of their fights. Technically they were married, and this was the biggest issue they have had in over fifty years.

"What happens if she gets scared and tries to leave?" Rosalie shot back.

"She won't leave. I highly doubt she could survive without you kids," Esme said.

"The same goes for you two," Alice reassured Esme and Carlisle. "She adores both of you." She smiled.

"Jasper, what do you think?" Carlisle turned to Jasper who had been leaning against the doorjamb of Bella's room. He usually stayed close so he could gage her emotions, if she was sad or distressed, he would try to send her waves of happiness before she would wake up.

"I think we should tell her now. I don't think she will be scared, she loves us too much. If she is, I can help with that as much as possible," Jasper answered calmly. He was definitely getting stronger, because her scent no longer affected him the way it did before. He purposely stayed near her often so he would grow accustomed to it. It was still difficult at times, but he managed.

"Edward? Do you think it's too soon? That she might be too young?" Carlisle asked. In the end, Carlisle felt like Edward was the one that would make the final vote. He was the one that brought Bella into this family, and he was the one Bella was closest to.

"We should tell her now. As much as I don't want to, I think she would be angry at us if we kept this from her any longer. She is very intelligent, you all know this. She is already noticing that we are different. She asks a lot of questions, things that a child her age wouldn't normally understand. I think it's time," Edward sighed.

He wanted to shield her from this life as much as possible. He didn't want her youth to be affected by their existence. They were damned; he didn't want that for her. If Edward had thought that she would be safer somewhere else, and if he and the family hadn't grown so attached to the girl, he would want her as far away as possible.

"Okay then, it has been decided. We will tell Bella before she starts school," Carlisle announced. Everyone but Rosalie liked the idea. She sighed loudly, and kept reading her magazine.

"Um, I have a question. What about changing her?" Emmett asked quietly. Everyone started talking at once but Edward's growl had silenced them.

"Out of the question. She will not become one of us," Edward hissed. Rosalie actually thought it was a good idea.

"It would be safer all around if we did," Rosalie pointed out. Edward glared at her.

"I hate to say it, but I think she's right," Alice agreed from her spot on the couch. Edward was pacing in front of everyone. He couldn't believe they were actually considering this.

They took a family vote, and he was shocked to see that everyone agreed that it would be a good idea. He growled in frustration, still pacing back and forth.

"We aren't talking about changing her without talking with her about it. We will let her decide when she's old enough," Jasper said calmly to Edward.

"And when is that?" Edward spat.

"High school. We will ask her then, she will have the option to say no, and she will have the option to change her mind as many times as she needs. If she doesn't want this, then she doesn't have to accept it," Jasper answered. Edward calmed down a little.

Jasper could feel that Bella was getting restless. He sent her waves of happiness and hoped that would help. For some reason, the feeling of restlessness was stronger. He slowly opened her door a little so he could peek in on her. She looked like she was calm, but she didn't feel that way. He sent more waves of happiness and slowly started closing the door, still leaving it open just a bit.

Jasper finally felt the waves of happiness hit him, in full force. He had given her so much that he couldn't help but feel happy too. Then he heard the "thud" from her room and he smelt the blood before he saw what happened. She had rolled off her bed, when she hit the ground, her nose started to bleed a little. She remained sleeping, feeling too happy to realize what happened.

Edward inhaled and that was all he could remember. He instantly was rushing to her door, the bloodlust was too strong.

"Edward! No!"

**Review if you will :) Thanks for reading!**


	3. A Bloody Mess

**A/N: Okay this chapter is really short, there were some problems uploading yesterday (I thought it was added to the last chapter and I didn't look as I just wrote the bottom part asking for reviews) so, I'm sorry! My fault! Hope you guys enjoy though!**

Alice screamed after Edward, but she knew what it was like when you couldn't control it. Everyone, including Rosalie, was standing in an instant, but they weren't quick enough. All they could see was Edward being thrown back and hitting the coffee table as he landed. It shattered underneath him and Jasper was suddenly crouched in front of him. He had thrown Edward back in an effort to protect Bella. Amidst the commotion, Carlisle slipped into Bella's room and closed and locked the door behind him. He knew a lock wouldn't be able to keep any of them out, but he needed time to clean her up. She was still sleeping peacefully on the ground, unfazed by everything that was happening around her. He gently picked her up and placed her back into her bed and got to work on cleaning everything up.

Jasper and Emmett dragged Edward out of the house and deep into the woods, he needed to hunt. They hunted with him, even though both had hunted earlier that day. Once they had all gotten their fill, they joined back up, but didn't return to the house yet. Edward sat there silently, his head in his hands. Jasper could feel his emotions stronger than anything he had felt before.

_Stop it, Edward. You are not a monster; we have all had problems controlling it._

Edward chuckled bitterly at Jasper's thoughts. Jasper was the one that had the hardest time with this, but he wasn't the one that could have killed her tonight. Jasper was actually the one to protect her. How could he not feel like a monster?

"Edward, it affects you different because her blood calls to you. In ways that it doesn't call to any of us," Jasper said quietly.

Before coming to live with the Cullen's, Jasper was with another coven of vampires, but they drank human blood. They didn't have Carlisle's views on only drinking animal blood. He had grown used to that, but once Alice found him, he changed. He took on the "vegetarian diet" that the Cullen's showed him. Since then, it had always been a huge struggle for him to resist feeding on any humans, but he did it. Only once did he slip and kill someone.

Carlisle had explained to him that there were times when you couldn't help the bloodlust. Where the human's blood was too strong and it called to you in such a way that you couldn't stop yourself even if you tried. The person is called your "singer" and that's what Bella was to Edward.

"I'm leaving," Edward said, not looking at either Jasper or Emmett.

_Come on Edward, you can't leave. Think of Esme and Carlisle. And what about Bella? It would kill her if you left. _Emmett winced, knowing he shouldn't have thought that particular word.

"It would kill her if I stayed!" Edward yelled, moving past them. Both Jasper and Emmett begged him to stay as they made their way back to the house. Alice had already seen his decision and was waiting for him when he returned.

"You're leaving," She said quietly. She was obviously upset. Edward nodded silently.

"You are the only person I can trust to do this for me. I will stay in contact, but I will only speak with you. You are the only one that can block her out of your mind. I don't want to see her, I don't want pictures of her, and I don't want you to let me know how she is doing," Edward said. Jasper could feel the desperation, anger, and utter shame Edward felt.

"Edward," Alice began.

"It will hurt me too much. I cannot be responsible for anything bad happening to her, it would kill me. Please, Alice. I am begging you," Edward was pleading. Alice couldn't say no, because she would feel the same way if it had been her in Edward's place.

"I promise." She said. He hugged her quickly, and went into the house telling the rest of his family goodbye. Everyone tried again to stop him. He remained quiet and shook his head lightly. He wasn't going to change his mind.

Edward grabbed his keys and gathered a few of his things into his silver Volvo and returned to the house once more. He hesitated near Bella's door knowing that he wouldn't see her again. If he had a heart capable of breaking, it would be.

_Tell her goodbye._ Edward shook his head at Jasper's thought.

"It will end up hurting her more than helping," Edward sighed.

_Then don't wake her, but at least go in there one last time. You will regret it if you don't. Do you want me to go in there with you, just in case? _Jasper asked once he noticed Edward's hesitation. Edward looked down in shame and nodded.

Together they entered her room quietly, both watching as she slept peacefully. Her dark hair was all around her face, and her cheeks were tinted pink; Edward was going to miss that. He didn't move for a few minutes, he just watched her sleep. Then he sighed and slowly made his way to her bed. He leaned down and kissed her lightly on her forehead.

"Take care of her," He whispered to Jasper. Jasper nodded once, and with that, Edward was gone.

**I swear the next one will be longer! Review please! :) Thanks!**


	4. Going Home

**A/N: Okay another kinda short one, I'm sorry. I seriously have problems trying to write long chapters haha! I wanna thank all of your for your nice reviews, they make me happy! **

**I don't own Twilight.... but I own this story so boo-yah! Lol jk**

It had been twelve years since that fateful night that Edward had left his family, and he missed them more than they would ever know. Any time he would talk with Alice, he had to keep it short, because the pain was unbearable. He knew that his family was hurting just as bad. He had moved to Alaska with some family friends. They had the same vegetarian diet, they didn't always have to worry about the sunlight there, so it was much easier for him.

Alice and Jasper came to visit him once a few years back, which he was thankful for, he missed them terribly. When they had come, they smelled faintly of Bella. She would have been twelve at the time and Edward found himself trying to figure out what she would look like, and how she was handling living in a house full of vampires.

_Flashback_

_"Edward! I'm so happy to see you!" Alice exclaimed, crushing him into a hug. Edward smiled and hugged back. Jasper hugged him too. _

_"We can't stay too long, we promised Esme we would be back soon," Jasper said. Edward nodded; he knew that this must have been hard for them._

_"I'm just glad to see you guys," Edward said, genuinely smiling for the first time in 7 years. He smelled Bella's scent on them, and he desperately wanted to ask how she was doing, but he wouldn't. He made Alice promise to never mention Bella._

_Jasper and Alice shared a look that didn't go unnoticed by Edward, but he couldn't hear their thoughts. They were blocking them from him. It worried him a little, but he trusted his family._

_"I'm going to go say hello to Tanya and Irina," Alice said, dancing away toward the house, leaving Jasper and Edward outside._

_"Subtle," Edward said laughing slightly, figuring that the look they shared was Jasper telling Alice he needed to talk to Edward alone. Jasper smiled at him._

_"I thought so," He said._

_"So how has everything been since I have left?" Edward asked. He knew how his family was, Carlisle, Esme, Rosalie, and Emmett were all sad that he was gone, but they understood how he felt. He wasn't really asking about them, but he wouldn't say it out loud._

_"She's fine. We told her what we were a while after you left, and of course she was a little confused. She was only scared for a short while, but her love for us was strong enough for her to not care. She's very bright, she understands a lot more than any of us have ever imagined. Everything works very smoothly. She and Rosalie even get along, to an extent," Jasper said. He knew all along what Edward wanted to know. _

_"That's really good. After that night, how was- did she-" Edward didn't know how to word his question. He wanted to know how Bella reacted to him leaving._

_"We didn't tell her what really happened. We said that you had something that you needed to do and that we didn't think you would be able to return. It hurt her a lot. She couldn't sleep well for almost a year, and she was constantly waiting for you to come through the door. We would find her at the piano a lot, trying to play a little. Esme offered to get her lessons, but she refused. I would hear her crying at night, I would have to go in there and help her fall asleep. But after a while, she stopped asking about you, she was able to sleep, she was still sad, but she was trying to move passed it. She realized you weren't coming back," Jasper said. Edward felt terrible. He didn't realize it would have this effect on her._

_"I didn't know it would hurt her that much," Edward said quietly, he had a distant look in his eyes._

_"You were the one that found her. She saw you as the one that saved her because once she was old enough to understand what happened to her parents, she realized that if you hadn't came, something terrible could have happened to her. You may not have been able to see it, but you were everything to her," Jasper told him. There was no reason to sugar coat anything for Edward. Everyone wanted him to come home, and Jasper could feel that Edward wanted to come home more than anything. He was just too scared that he might do something that would hurt her._

_"What's she like?" Edward found himself asking. Jasper's face softened a little. _

_"She's beautiful. She is extremely smart for a twelve year old, she's funny and witty. She is very mature for her age, but also stubborn as hell. And she is a complete klutz; she is constantly tripping over her own two feet. Its hilarious, but rather endearing," Jasper said, smiling. He was obviously remembering something, but Edward couldn't see it. Jasper was shielding it from him. They were getting good at keeping him from their thoughts._

_"I'm glad everything seems to be working out," Edward said, turning so his brother couldn't see the agony written on his face. He wanted to come home so badly._

_"Come home, we won't let anything happen to her, and you are strong. I know you will be able to handle this," Jasper said. He knew Edward could do this, even if Bella was Edward's singer, he knew Edward wouldn't let himself get out of hand again. _

_"I'm sorry, I can't." Edward replied._

Here he was 4 years from their visit, gathering his stuff, ready to return home. He had been gone too long, and he couldn't bear being away from his family anymore. He was scared to death of returning because of Bella. He didn't want to hurt her; he would do whatever it takes to make sure he wouldn't hurt her. If that meant not living with them, but near them it was fine. He would hunt every single day if that's what it took.

Tanya and Irina had also told him that he needed to go back, he was too depressed and it wasn't healthy. He would stay in his room for the most part; they would hear him playing the piano. When he first came to them, his music was angry, loud, and forced. Lately it had been painfully depressing. It was time that he went back; it would kill him if he didn't. He told them goodbye, and started off toward his family.

**So, how was it? Please let me know! :) I love any and all feedback (even if you're telling me I need to fix stuff or its bad lol) Again, thanks for reading!**


	5. Surprise

**A/N: Okay this one is long :) Hopefully not too long for you guys. I'm not sure how I feel about this one, hopefully you guys like it more than I do haha :)**

The Cullen's had moved when Bella started high school the previous year, so that the rest of them could start high school with her. Bella was excited that she was finally in the same year as Alice while Jasper, Rosalie, and Emmett portrayed a year above her.

Bella didn't pretend to be part of their family; she still kept her last name as Swan. The address she used as her home was the small cottage next door to the Cullen's mansion that they had also bought. It was just in case Bella wanted some privacy, or in case Edward ever came home and decided he needed to stay there. It wasn't very big; it had two rooms, a bathroom, and a living room. It didn't have a kitchen in it though; it wasn't really supposed to be a home, just a part of the mansion. Bella never stayed in it though, she preferred to be around the Cullens.

School would be starting in the next week, and Bella was ready, her classes would be harder, which she was looking forward to. She and Alice were the only ones that ever looked forward to school. Bella glanced out the window and sighed at the rain. She knew that they had to stay somewhere that was gloomy pretty much all year long, but she secretly wished it would brighten up just for a day. Living in Forks, Washington was kind of depressing.

"Alice, come on, if you're dragging me to the mall, let's get this done with," Bella called to her. Alice constantly dragged her shopping, which Bella hated, but she did it anyway. Alice was her best friend, and the closest thing to a sister Bella ever had. Rosalie and she still didn't get along all that great.

"I'll be there in just a second!" Alice called to Bella from her room, she was gathering her stuff, and saying goodbye to Jasper. All of a sudden she went very still, and her expression was blank. Jasper was used to this; he could tell she was having a vision, so he waited until she was back to her normal self before asking.

"What did you see?" Jasper asked, noting that this was a long vision.

"Edward will be home today. He's going to fall in love with Bella," Alice said, she was ecstatic that Edward was coming home. Jasper's excitement was hard to contain too.

"Will Bella return his feelings?" Jasper asked, knowing her feelings towards him now would be hard to change.

"I can't see that, I just see how he feels," Alice answered, not letting it get in the way of her excitement.

"Should we tell the family?" He asked. Alice shook her head.

"No, let it be a surprise," She said smiling.

"And as for Edward and Bella?" Jasper asked. Alice smiled deviously, and Jasper groaned.

"I'm not telling either of them anything. And neither are you Jasper! Do you understand me?" The small pixie threatened. Jasper chuckled, he couldn't argue with her.

"As you wish," He said kissing her lightly, as Bella walked by their open door. She managed to almost trip just walking a few steps, but caught herself on the doorframe.

"Come on, I'm actually getting restless," Bella laughed. Alice danced over to her and linked arms with Bella.

"You love shopping with me and you know it," Alice sang. Jasper and Bella shared a look.

"Whatever helps you sleep at night Alice," Bella said. Jasper laughed and waved a goodbye. He couldn't wait for Edward to get back.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

After three hours of torture, Bella sat back in Alice's car and finally relaxed. They did all their school shopping, and Alice forced Bella to get some extra cute outfits but wouldn't tell Bella why. Alice had been extremely happy during their shopping trip and Bella was curious.

"I know you, you're hiding something from me," Bella said as Alice took off toward their house. She had to remember to go a normal pace. Edward would be there when they pulled up.

"No, I'm just excited school is starting again!" Alice lied. Bella thought about it for a few minutes and shrugged it off. That could have been true; Alice was always excited when school started.

They pulled up to the house and Alice saw the familiar Volvo parked in front. He couldn't take it all the way to Alaska with him, but he left it with some friends. She was glad he got it back, he loved his car. Bella looked at the car for a few minutes not really understanding what was going on. Alice realized that Bella didn't remember his car, and that shouldn't surprise her, Bella was so young when Edward left.

Emmett was outside when they pulled up and before he could say anything, Alice shot him a look to not say anything. Bella noticed he looked happier than usual though.

"Where are your bags, squirt?" Emmett asked her. She grabbed a few and he grabbed the rest of her bags and they walked into the house. Alice walked behind them when Jasper came out to help with her bags. Once they walked into the house, Alice looked around frantically, not seeing Edward or anyone else. She looked at Jasper who motioned that they were in the back.

Bella dropped her stuff on her bed, and Emmett did the same with the rest of it. He kept her in the room until he heard the back door open and heard Esme's voice. Bella couldn't make out her words, but she could tell Esme was excited about something.

"What's going on?" Bella asked, a small smile gracing her lips at the sound of Esme's joy.

"Let's go find out," Emmett said, holding his hand out for her, smiling. She laughed at his obvious excitement and walked with him into the den. She stopped dead in her tracks when she looked into the eyes of the Greek god standing in there. He was beautiful; she could feel her heart beat faster. Something was familiar though. That same bronze hair that seemed to have a mind of its own, those kind eyes, that crooked smile. Her heart nearly stopped, it was Edward. She didn't remember him being so beautiful, but she realized that at four, she wouldn't have been thinking of that.

Edward turned when he caught her scent; it nearly knocked him off his feet. When he finally looked at her, he was almost knocked off his feet again, but for different reasons. She was so beautiful; it was almost painful for him. Her long mahogany hair hung to the middle of her back in small, shiny waves. She had large, doe eyes that were the exact color of milk chocolate. Her skin was pale, but she still had that same pink tint to her cheeks that he loved when she was younger. She was very petite, but still taller than Alice by just a bit. She was very slender, but still had curves in all the right places. Edward was speechless.

"Bella, its Edward!" Alice sang happily. Bella and Edward both shook their thoughts away and took a small step toward the other. Everyone in their family was watching in anticipation. Bella had no idea what to do. So many feelings were flowing through her; Jasper was probably having a hell of a time keeping up.

"I've missed you, Bella," Edward said softly. Bella didn't want to speak, she would certainly cry if she opened her mouth. He took another two steps toward her, as did she. Neither one knew which one initiated it, but they ended up in an embrace. Everyone but Jasper left the room to give them their privacy. Jasper stayed to help Bella calm down. He was the only one that knew how much she was hurting. Bella and Edward clung to one another and a small tear popped out of the corner of her eye. She wiped it away without Edward noticing, but Jasper did.

"How have you been?" She asked after she gained control of her emotions partly due to Jasper. She didn't know what else to say.

"Honestly? Terrible. I've missed everyone too much, I had to come back," He answered truthfully.

"I'm sorry things were so bad for you," Bella said, clearly running out of things to say. She needed to get out of there, the emotions were too strong. She looked over at Jasper who was having a hard time staying calm. All of her emotions were hitting him hard, anger, sadness, relief, happiness, caution. He always seemed to feel Bella's emotions stronger than anyone else's.

"You have nothing to be sorry for, Bella. I'm just happy that I'm back now," Edward said, feeling like an idiot. He was stumbling all over himself; he was nervous like a lovesick teenager. _This is not good,_ Edward thought to himself.

"We all are," Bella said with a small polite smile. _Get out of here before you cause Jasper to go into shock! _Bella thought to herself. She couldn't figure out why Jasper didn't put some distance between them, her feelings couldn't affect him as much if they weren't so close. Jasper made a promise to Edward that he would be there in the beginning just in case. He was almost positive he could control himself, but he wanted back up. It was certainly smart though, her scent was practically begging him to do something. Like heroine for an addict.

"Are you alright?" Edward asked when he saw the upset look on Bella's face. He wished more than anything at that moment that he could read her mind.

"I'm fine, I just need some fresh air," Bella said abruptly, leaving him standing there with Jasper. Edward looked at him helplessly. Did he do something wrong?

_Give her time._ Jasper allowed him to hear his thoughts now. Edward nodded, and Jasper walked out of the den, leaving Edward there with his thoughts.

**Yay, he's back now, let the fun begin :) Please leave me some feedback! And give any suggestions, because I am all ears lol :) Thanks to everyone who has been reviewing so far, you guys are what keeps me posting lol**


	6. Confusion and School

**A/N: Thanks to all of the wonderful reviewers! You guys are amazingly awesome lol. I am sorry this one took so long, I am usually gone on the weekends and no where near my computer so I am sorry for the delay :( This chapter is kind of short and I'm sorry, but hopefully you still like it. It's kind of a filler, but has some important parts that direct the rest of the story, so enjoy!!!**

The first day of school started off awkward for Edward. Rosalie was going to drive Emmett, Alice, and Jasper leaving Edward to drive Bella. Alice insisted that she needed to ride with Rosalie because they needed to talk. Jasper offered to go with Edward but Alice shot him a glare and he sighed in defeat. Jasper didn't want to leave Bella alone with Edward, because he knew how she would react.

Jasper walked over to Bella and pulled her away from everyone else for a few minutes. Edward watched their small discussion and felt like he was intruding on something intimate. He couldn't help but wonder what was going on between them. Ever since he had come back, Jasper was wherever Bella was. They shared looks; they spoke quietly in corners, and he was always so protective of her. The way he watched her was as if he was just waiting for something to happen to her so he could spring into action.

Edward pulled Emmett aside too, not knowing if this was a smart move, but he had to ask someone. Maybe this was the reason Alice wanted to drive with Rosalie, and why she shot Jasper a glare when he offered to ride with Edward and Bella. Edward was so confused.

"Hey, what's going on with Jasper and Bella?" Edward asked quietly. Emmett's eyebrows furrowed as he looked over at them. They were still in their quiet conversation, but everyone else was used to this. Jasper had grown to be Bella's protector. After Edward left, she clung to Jasper because he was the one helping her. Whether it was helping her fall asleep or sending her waves of happiness to calm her down, he was doing what no one else could.

"They seem to be talking," Emmett answered sarcastically. Edward rolled his eyes, Emmett was so oblivious sometimes.

"Are they, you know? What about Alice? Is she okay with this?" Edward asked. Emmett almost laughed. How could Edward think that they were together? Alice was behind them and heard everything. She smiled at Edward's confusion and obvious sadness of the thought of the two together.

"Emmett let's go," Alice said behind them before Emmett could answer. Alice sent Jasper a glare when she was sure that Edward was looking. She needed to keep Edward suspicious of Jasper and Bella so he wouldn't notice that she was being so secretive. Edward could always tell when Alice was lying, and if he found out that he would fall in love with Bella eventually, he would leave again. She hated to have to use this, and she hated lying, but Esme would not survive Edward leaving again.

Edward watched as Bella and Jasper started walking toward them, Bella stumbled and almost fell to the ground. She shut her eyes and prepared for the fall, but she didn't hit anything. Instead, she felt two cool arms wrap around her, and set her upright. She looked up to see Jasper smiling with amusement.

"Careful, Bells." He said. She smiled and thanked him, and got into Edward's car. Jasper had just spent a few minutes trying to calm her down. He was the only one that truly knew how Bella was feeling. Everyone just figured that she was sad when Edward left. They didn't know that was only half of it.

Once Edward returned, Bella did all she could to keep her distance from him. Not only because of how she was feeling, but because her feelings for him were changing. She realized just by seeing how he was with his family, that Edward was a wonderful person. She had a few memories of when she was little and how he was always so doting on her, and how he was so careful with her. As long as Edward was around, she was never sad.

Edward was gorgeous, she couldn't put it into words, the best she came up with was "wow" and that even seemed too plain. But his looks weren't the reason she was starting to notice him more, or the reason her feelings of sadness were changing. It was his personality, how loving he was to Esme and Carlisle. How funny he was with Jasper and Emmett, how nice he was to Alice and Rosalie, and how understanding and perfect he was to her. Bella seemed to want space, so he would give it to her. He would try joking with her when she would let him. He would open doors for her, help her if she needed, and offer her a listening ear if she seemed upset. In just a matter of days, he had gotten under her skin.

"We're here," Edward said, as he pulled into the parking lot of Forks High School. He wondered if this would be any different from any other school he had ever gone to. He wondered if he would have any classes with Alice or Bella.

Bella and Edward walked into the main office to pick up their schedules; Alice was already there with hers.

"Alice, we don't have any classes together this year," Bella complained while looking at Alice's schedule. Alice laughed.

"Given the trouble we get into, that's probably a good thing," She said. Bella grinned wickedly and Edward only wished he knew what she was remembering at that moment.

"What about you, Edward?" Alice said, taking his schedule.

"I don't know," He answered; he hadn't seen either of their schedules.

"Nothing with me, but you have three classes with Bella," She answered with a smile. Bella looked away and noticed Emmett walking into the office.

"Em!" She said walking over to him. He smiled and gave her a bear hug.

"I'll never get tired of your excitement of seeing me, Squirt," Emmett laughed. She rolled her eyes and playfully punched him.

"How is your schedule looking?" She asked.

"Just about to find out," Emmett said as he grabbed his schedule from the secretary. The first bell rang, meaning they had to get to class. Bella and Edward had 1st, 3rd, and 5th period together.

"Looks like we have every other class together," Edward said with a crooked smile. Bella almost forgot to breathe, how was it that he could render her breathless so easily? It made her angry.

"Looks like it," She said forcing a smile. They walked together to their first class, which was English. Bella got harassed by a lot of the guys, Edward, who could hear their thoughts, was furious. How could they be so blunt? And some of them were practically undressing her with their eyes! Luckily, they were able to pick their seats, and he took the seat next to her without thinking. She didn't say anything to stop him, so he figured it would be okay.

~*~*~*~

Lunch came quickly, and Edward easily found Bella and Alice just by following Bella's scent. All day she had been very quiet around him, but then again, she had been like that since he returned. He wasn't expecting an instant friendship, but he was expecting something other than this. Bella used to love being around him, and now she seemed like that was the last thing she wanted.

"I don't understand why you guys even get food," Bella whispered to Alice and Edward as they followed her in the lunch line. They filled their plates up with the same stuff as Bella.

"I've told you millions of times, Bella; we have to keep up appearances," Alice whispered back. Bella grabbed a bottle of lemonade while paying for her lunch, Alice and Edward followed her lead.

"I think it's weirder to people that you always get food but don't touch it," Bella pointed out. Edward couldn't help but smirk. He could hear everyone's thoughts as they sat down at the table that Jasper, Rosalie, and Emmett had already reserved. All the students seemed to be confused about their lack of eating.

Bella began to eat her lunch while the rest of them sat silently. She instantly put her food down, feeling her face growing hot. She knew they wouldn't eat, but because no one was saying anything either, she felt nervous. She hated eating while they all watched her. Edward noticed the blush that crept into her cheeks and the disturbed look on her face. He looked to Jasper for an explanation, hoping he would understand without him having to actually ask.

_She feels like the spotlight is on her while she eats when no one talks. She's feeling uncomfortable._ Jasper answered with his thoughts. Edward felt terrible.

"So Rosalie, how are your classes?" He asked, trying to start up a conversation. Rosalie answered him quickly, but again, went back to being silent.

_No point, Rosalie is mad at Emmett, Emmett is confused, and Alice is deep in thought. You know how that goes; they'll be preoccupied the rest of the day._ Jasper thought, Edward didn't know what to do then but he felt like he had to make her comfortable.

He almost retched at the thought of what he was about to do, but he figured it was for a good cause. He looked up at Bella and smiled as he pulled his own tray of food closer to him. He sneered at his pizza, but lifted it and took a bite. Alice barely noticed, but Rosalie and Emmett gawked at him. Bella's eyes nearly popped out of her head.

"You don't have to do that," She said quietly. Edward smiled crookedly and she nearly gasped at the sight.

"I know. Join me," He said gesturing to her pizza. She shook her head with a light smile and picked up her pizza to continue eating.

_Kiss ass. _Jasper thought, smiling. Edward sent him a glare as he tried not to think about having to throw this up later. Human food was disgusting.

**Haha I love Jasper. Review if you will, they make me smile.... smiling is my favorite! (Hopefully some of you have seen "Elf")**


	7. Caught

**A/N: Okay, so you are all probably fed up with me right now for my short chapters, and this one is no different. But in my defense, I kind of HAVE to end it here, because the next part is kind of all wrapped together. It would be weird if I ended it anywhere else. And I don't want to write a bunch of useless stuff just to make it longer because then I feel like I'm tricking you haha. I am totally weird that way! So, please forgive me, and enjoy!!! As always thanks to all the people that review!**

A month quickly passed and so far, there was no change in Bella, which was starting to really affect Edward. He wanted desperately for them to be close, but he wasn't even sure why. He couldn't quite explain why he found himself openly staring at her at times, hanging on to every word she said, and constantly thinking about her and why she acted so strange around him.

She was very close with Alice and Jasper and even Emmett. Rosalie and Bella would be courteous to each other at times, and at each other's throats at others. Bella was feisty and didn't put up with Rosalie's crap, and Rosalie still resented Bella. Edward could hear it in Rosalie's thoughts. She wasn't as good at blocking him out as Jasper and Alice were.

It was mid afternoon and Carlisle was at the hospital, Esme was at her French class that she took for fun, Rosalie and Emmett went away for the rest of the week for their anniversary, and Alice was shopping alone. Bella had fallen asleep on the couch in the den and Jasper was in his room. Edward couldn't help but watch her sleep for a few minutes as he passed by on the way to his room.

She looked so peaceful as she slept, and this time, he knew it wasn't because of Jasper. Her face was serene, her lips were parted just a tiny bit, and her cheeks were rosy. It was darker than her usual blush; he wondered what she was dreaming of.

He hadn't noticed that Jasper had walked into the room, which proved how distracted he was with Bella; no one was ever able to sneak up on Edward. Jasper watched Edward for a few minutes. Edward was already starting to fall for Bella and he probably didn't even know it yet. Alice's vision hadn't given her a time frame that all of it would happen, but Jasper could tell. He cleared his throat quietly, causing Edward to jump. He looked as if he had been caught stealing something.

"Having fun?" Jasper asked, smirking a little.

"I was just thinking," Edward lied. Jasper shook his head lightly at him.

"No need to lie to me," He laughed. Edward looked confused.

"What do you mean?" Edward asked.

"Nothing, it was a joke," Jasper smiled as he walked to the back of the house, he was going to hunt. He waved to Edward and then he was gone. Edward was still confused, but was brought out of it by Bella's stirring. She opened her eyes, and saw Edward there.

"Oh, I must have fallen asleep," She said sheepishly. Her face was turning red again, and she was looking around as she sat up.

"They all left," Edward said, knowing that she was trying to find a way out of being alone with him. He kept his voice light though; he didn't want to make her uncomfortable.

"Oh, that's cool," Bella asked looking everywhere but at him. "How is school going?" Edward smiled at her attempt.

"I'm with you more than half of the day," He answered.

"I know, I was talking about the other half," Bella said smiling back, for once it looked genuine.

"It's good. Tough being in everyone's head though. You do not want to know what half these people are thinking," Edward answered. Bella laughed at him and sat up straighter on the couch.

"The girls are all imagining you naked?" Bella joked. She didn't know why she was able to be so comfortable with him at the moment, but it was nice for a change. Edward shuddered. All the girls at Forks High were doing more than undressing him in their minds. He hated it.

"The guys are just as bad," He answered, referring to the guys that liked Bella.

"Really? They're gay?" Bella asked as her eyebrows shot up. He laughed at the miscommunication.

"No, I meant the guys that were doing the same to you," He answered, still laughing. She shuddered as well, and joined in with his laughing. It got quiet for a while, but it wasn't uncomfortable. Edward couldn't hide the joy he was feeling, he was hoping that they were getting somewhere.

"So what have I missed while I was gone?" He asked. He didn't think the question would spark anything, he figured it was safe, but he noted the way Bella's eyes dimmed.

"Not much, just me growing up and everyone else staying the same age," She answered dully.

"It's better than the alternative," He answered. He wasn't sure what Bella's take on changing was, but she hadn't been changed yet, so he was hoping that she made her decision to stay human.

"I'm not sure, they asked. I didn't have an answer, I still don't actually," She answered, looking away.

"Bella let me tell you from experience, this isn't worth it. You can't go back," He said seriously.

"Well, _I_ don't want to leave my family," She said coldly, taking a crack at Edward for leaving them so long ago. He wasn't certain that she was doing that, but got the feeling it was aimed at him.

"Sometimes you can't help it," He said quietly. She was looking at the piano in the corner of the room, not making eye contact.

"Yeah," She said quietly, still not meeting his eyes. She stood from her spot on the couch, and went to her room upstairs. Edward couldn't move, he felt terrible; everything had been going so well.

Just as he was about to get up, Jasper had returned from what had to have been the shortest hunting trip in history. Edward could tell by the gold color of his eyes though, that Jasper had actually hunted. Jasper walked into the room, and must have felt the strong emotions because he literally took a step back before looking up the stairs towards Bella's room.

"What happened?" He asked roughly. He couldn't leave them for half an hour without something happening, he blamed Edward.

"I don't know, but she probably needs you," Edward answered, deflated. It was always one step forward and two steps back with her. He wondered if he would ever get anywhere. Jasper stared at him for a second, and then made his way up the stairs. Edward couldn't help the jealousy that seemed to take over; he instantly hated himself for it. Hopefully he would be able to fix things between them.

**Aww, Edward's starting to get jealous... review away please (if you will) And if you want, give me ideas... I am going through writer's block! Not good!**


	8. Progress

**A/N: This one is a bit longer, and it is the part of the story that probably should have come later, but its not the biggest part so its not that big of a deal lol. I hope you like it, I hope I did it right, and if not, tell me I'm a loser and I have to do it over again lol! **

**I want to thank all of you that suggested ideas for upcoming parts in the story which includes: "Margpena", "AriesFireQN", "Jk5959 (who seems to have half my brain)", and "MielAngelEyes" you guys have all helped me a lot actually so thanks a billion and one! Free sexy Edwards, sexy Jaspers, and sexy Emmetts to you... I'll throw in Jake, James, and Carlisle if that sort of thing is your bad baby ;) Enjoy!**

The next day was going to be terrible, Edward could already tell. Rosalie and Emmett were still gone; Carlisle was working all day, Esme had her schedule full with various different classes she was taking for fun, and Alice had planned a whole day for she and Jasper which would mean Edward would be left alone with Bella. He could have left, but he wanted to stay. She wasn't awake yet; it was still too early for her to be up. So he took the opportunity to hunt, he had to do it practically every single day since he had been back. If he hadn't, his thirst for Bella's blood would become too strong, and he didn't trust himself.

When he returned to the house, he knew she was awake, because he had heard the shower while he was walking through the back door. It stopped instantly when he closed the door, and he got the sense that Bella knew that she would be alone with him today. Half an hour had gone by, and she still hadn't come out of her room. He suddenly got an idea; he only hoped it would work.

Bella was in her room and didn't want to come out; she knew that everyone had ditched her today. Something was going on with Alice; she was being too sneaky lately. Conveniently planning to leave when she knew everyone but Edward would be away wasn't subtle, but she played the innocent part.

Bella didn't want to face Edward, because she hated being so angry with him all the time. There were a few moments where they would actually get along, and they would have some good conversations, but in the month that he had been back, she still wouldn't open up to him. And she could count the times that were good between them on two hands. She sighed as she put down her copy of "Romeo and Juliet" and closed her eyes, hoping that she would think of something that would take her mind off of Edward. Her thoughts were interrupted by a beautiful sound that she hadn't realized she missed so much. The music was obviously coming from downstairs, Edward was playing the piano. But there was something familiar about the song; it took her a few moments to realize what it was. The lullaby that Edward had written for her when she was younger filled the air and brought tears to her eyes.

Edward's hands danced across the keys by memory, he would never forget this song. He wrote it for her when she was younger, and it helped her sleep every night. He continued, this part of the song got unbearably sweet, and he felt a change in the air around him. Her scent filled his senses and he knew she was behind him. It worked. He didn't stop playing until he finished the song. He turned around and saw her standing in the doorway of the den. Her arms were crossed over her, as if she were trying to hold herself together, her eyes were glossy as if she had just been crying, and she had never looked so sad yet so beautiful. Edward quickly pushed that thought out of his head. He had no right to think she was beautiful.

"Come for a walk with me?" Edward asked. He got up and crossed the room, stalling by her for a second, and then continued without looking back at her. He could tell she was following him though.

They came to a spot just like the one she loved at the old house where a tree trunk lay over the creek. He wondered if she ever came here when he was gone. He had missed so much, but she felt like a completely different person now.

They both walked to the center of the tree trunk and sat down, it wasn't raining, but the clouds threatened it, they were exceptionally dark that day, causing the mood to darken as well.

"What do you want?" She asked, not in a mean way, but more curious. She still wasn't looking at him, she hadn't since they sat down. She also sat a good foot away from him, showing him that she didn't want to be close.

"To talk," He answered softly.

"Then talk," She bit back. She sighed, she didn't want to be this mean to him, but she couldn't help it. Edward tried to not take it personally, but he knew her anger was directed at him. He just didn't understand why she was so angry, sadness when he left, he could understand, but not the anger she had for him still.

"Why are you so angry at me?" Edward asked quietly. Bella finally looked at him; the emotion that shone through her expressive eyes shocked him. Never once had he been able to read her thoughts, but this one look in her eyes had been enough for him. Complete anger, a hint of sadness, and doubt.

"You honestly don't know?" She asked with a bitter laugh. How could Edward not know why she was angry? Was he blind?

"I don't, please explain it to me," Edward pleaded.

"You left me!" Bella exclaimed. The resentment dripping from her words stung him, she shook her head and stood up and started walking away. He lightly grabbed her hand and stopped her, this was going to be figured out, and he wouldn't give her the chance to run away again. She reluctantly sat back down.

"I'm sorry, Bella. I didn't think that would be the reason behind all this anger you have. It just seems like there is more to it than that," He said cautiously.

"Edward, you saved me. I didn't know it until I had a better understanding of what happened, but you took me in and gave me a family. I don't know what would have happened if you hadn't have found me at that park and took me home," She said quietly. Edward thought back to the man that had been planning on taking her and shuddered. He knew what would have happened, luckily, Carlisle had tipped off the police. That guy had been someone the police had been looking for a while, and finally they caught him with Carlisle and Edward's help.

"It doesn't help you to think about the 'what if' situations. You are safe now, and that's what matters," He said softly.

"How could you have been that selfish? You didn't see what your family went through every single day, or even what I went through. You were the one person I trusted more than anyone. You left and took the heart of your family with you! They didn't give me any details on why you left, but if it was something that they understood, they wouldn't have been so sad. It was like you were ripped away from them. What exactly did you have to do that was so damn important?" Bella asked.

Edward hesitated; he didn't want to scare her. He didn't want her to blame herself, but he didn't want to lie to her either. He wanted a fresh start with her. He wanted to be able to have light conversations and hang out like she did with the rest of the family.

"If I tell you the truth, you have to promise me something. First, you have to let me finish before you interrupt, and secondly, you have to place all blame on me and no one else, because it wasn't anyone's fault but my own," Edward said.

"Okay," She agreed too quickly, Edward knew she would blame herself anyway. He sighed; there was no getting out of it now anyway.

"I'm sure they have told you the affect your scent has on each of them already. But everyone but Jasper and I would be able to deal with it. Their tolerance is much stronger, and they had been around much longer. Your blood has a different affect on me than anyone else. Has anyone explained what a 'singer' is in the vampire sense?" Edward asked, hating to use the word.

"Jasper told me about it. He had killed his because he couldn't help the bloodlust. He said it's stronger than anything he had ever felt. It was as if the human was meant for him specifically," She said, almost shuddering. She was thinking about Jasper's story too much to put the pieces together.

"You are that to me, Bella. You are my singer, and that night I had almost killed you. You fell off your bed, and started bleeding. I couldn't control anything, the animal inside took over completely and I was at your door in an instant. Jasper was the one to stop me. I knew that it wasn't safe for me to be around you. I would kill myself if I ever let anything happen to you, and there I was, the one that could have killed you. I had to leave Bella. I couldn't bear it," Edward said, his voice just above a whisper. Bella's anger all melted away, and instantly, she felt at fault.

"You should have just put me up to an adoption agency. I didn't know your secret yet; there was no need for you to be ripped from your family. I had only been there about a year or so," Bella said, almost in tears. Edward grabbed her hand and held it until she looked at him.

"You promised you wouldn't blame anyone but me. You needed them and they needed you. We were all too attached to let you go, you brought something to this family that they never had. If you think they were sad when I left, you should see what they would have been like if you were the one to go. And I was selfish, and wanted you to be close, even if I wasn't. There was always the option to see you though. I'm sorry for being like that," Edward said. He wanted to know that all he had to do was come home, and there she would be. He couldn't bear to not know where she was.

"Please stop apologizing. I feel like I'm the one that needs to," Bella said. She was disgusted in herself.

"Bella, please don't. Not a single one of them blame you. I definitely don't. You are the reason they were able to stay happy while I was gone, so in a way, you saved them too; and me. Every single day that I was gone, I was testing my strength. I was making sure that I could withstand the worst possible cravings, so that I could return. I wanted to so bad, but I wouldn't do it until I was sure you were safe. It still affects me more than you will ever know, but as long as I have some control over it, I'm okay," He explained.

In an instant she was in his arms, she tightened her hold, and started to cry. She couldn't help herself, she tried so hard to stop, but she couldn't. He was tense at first from the closeness, and the burning in his throat had returned full force. He stopped breathing, and just held her, while rubbing gentle circles on her back, and reassuring her that it was okay every few minutes.

There was the breakthrough that he desperately wanted. They were going to be able to be friends, but he could always see the guilt that Bella had felt. He wished that he could take it away, but eventually she was going to have to accept it wasn't her fault. He didn't care if it took the rest of his life, he would make sure she knew she wasn't to blame.

**Soooo everything seems okay now, right? Hmmmmm.... hahaha Review lovelies!**


	9. Visions

**A/N: Sorry it took so long, I am really stuck with writing this even though I have had wonderful help. Its a little easier than before. I'm not sure I like this chapter but it is setting things up, so bear with me if you will! :) Enjoy if you can~**

Edward had assumed that he and Bella would be much closer than what they were, and it was kind of bugging him that it hadn't changed as much as he hoped. Ever since they actually came clean with each other about everything, they were able to build a friendship, but Edward wanted a stronger one.

He had to tell himself that this would all come in time, it had only been two months since he had returned home, he couldn't push it, but then he started to wonder why he was so desperate to be closer to Bella in the first place.

"What's the matter with you?" Alice said as she walked into the den and found Edward at his piano. He wasn't playing anything, he was just sitting there silently, a far off gaze in his eyes.

"Nothing," He muttered when he realized she asked a question. Alice came over and sat in the chair that faced the piano. She wanted to tell Edward that she understood, and that soon enough, he would realize he was in love with Bella. She couldn't do it yet, he hadn't been home long enough, and there was still a chance that he would leave once he found out.

"You sure?" She asked, instantly, she was still. Her eyes were wide and unmoving, her posture was rigid, and she wasn't breathing.

"Alice?" Edward called after a few moments. He knew she had a vision; he wanted to know what it was about.

"Somehow Aro found out about Bella living with us," She said apprehensively. Edward shot up in an instant.

"What is he planning to do?" He asked. Aro was one of the leaders of the Volterri, a royal family of vampires that lived in Italy. They were like the rulers of the vampire world, and if they weren't happy, they had the power to eliminate you. They had only one basic rule for all vampires alike: protect your identity, do not tell humans. Obviously, the Cullen's had broken the cardinal rule with Bella, which is why Edward was so worried. Aro was a powerful man, and if he didn't like Bella, there was no telling what he would do.

"He hasn't decided yet, it was brought to his attention, he is going through some ideas. I'm going to go to Italy and see if I can stop this before it comes any closer," Alice said, standing up and walking to her room. Edward followed her, automatically thinking that she was crazy.

"I'll go, it's dangerous," Edward said. He didn't want to leave Bella, but he would be damned if he let anything happen to her. He wanted to be the one to protect her.

"No, there is no way you are leaving again. It would hurt the family too much, and you need to be here to protect Bella. I am much more subtle than you are, Edward. And Aro is interested in me because of my ability. If I get caught, he will take it easier on me," She reasoned. Edward still didn't want her going.

"Alice, what if-" He began, but she cut him off.

"Nothing will happen, apparently Rosalie is coming with me," Alice said with certainty. She must have been able to see that too. Alice was grabbing a suitcase and filling it with clothes.

"When are you leaving? Why isn't Jasper going with you?" Edward asked.

"We're leaving tomorrow. He needs to stay here in case any of this gets back to Bella. He needs to be able to control her emotions, because if she thinks we are in danger, she will leave. If we aren't there to protect her, she doesn't have a chance. You, Jasper, and Emmett all need to be here," Alice reasoned.

Edward didn't want to bring this up, especially at a time like this, but he had to know. Bella and Jasper were closer than ever, hanging out more often, and always sharing certain looks. He definitely noticed it, he wondered if Alice did too.

"Alice, about Jasper and Bella-" He started, and again, she cut him off. It was a painful subject. What started off as a way to keep Edward from realizing she was hiding something, turned into a true worry of hers. Jasper had been so different with Bella, carefree, more talkative, they had countless inside jokes, and they were constantly together.

She wouldn't be mad at either of them if they had feelings for the other. It wasn't like her to stand in the way of love. She loved Jasper too much to be angry with him, and Bella was her best friend and sister. It would take an act of God for Alice to even be slightly angry with her. The only way she would care was if they were hiding it though.

"I don't know," She answered the question he didn't even ask.

"Does it bug you? Can you see anything in the future?" Edward asked. He truly felt bad for Alice, because in a way, he was feeling her pain.

"I can see my future. I cannot see either Jasper's or Bella's. In my future, everyone is here, but it doesn't specify that I am with anyone," She said quickly. That didn't give Edward any hope, and he quickly pushed aside the feeling of uncertainty. He shouldn't care so much if Bella loved Jasper, but he couldn't help it, and he wasn't even sure why.

"Where do we tell her that you two are going?" Edward asked, changing the subject.

"On a short trip to Alaska. She can't miss school because this is her first time going. I'm going to go tell Carlisle and Esme. If they want to come too, that's fine. I'm sure you guys will be able to handle everything over here," Alice said.

In the end, it was decided that Alice and Rosalie were going to Italy, and Carlisle and Esme would go with them. Aro was very fond of Carlisle and he thought that might come in handy. Carlisle and Esme would return at any sign of trouble back home though. Alice, Rosalie, Emmett, Carlisle, Esme, and Edward were all in the den planning it out when Jasper and Bella walked through the front door. Jasper felt the tension in the air instantly.

"What's going on?" He asked. _They all seem worried, something is wrong._ Edward could hear Jasper's thoughts. Jasper must not have been trying to hide them at the time.

"Esme and I are going to Alaska for a while, and we're going to take Alice and Rosalie with us. We shouldn't be gone long. Tanya and Irina are having a few problems, and we felt like we should go help them." Carlisle replied calmly.

"Should we come?" Jasper asked. _Please say no, I don't want to leave Bella right now._ Edward's head shot to Jasper's direction, and now it was Jasper that had looked as if he had been caught stealing. He forgot to block his thoughts. Edward's eyes narrowed a little.

"No, I think you four should stay here. Obviously safety reasons for Bella, and because of school. And it is something that girls should handle," Esme said calmly. She hated lying, but Bella was in the room, and she couldn't know about this. They would have to explain it to Jasper in private.

"Is everything okay?" Bella asked softly from her position behind Jasper. Edward smiled at her concern.

"Yes dear, everything will be fine. They just need some family around for support. Can you imagine Emmett comforting someone?" Esme said, trying to joke and keep the mood light. She winked at Emmett who had growled at the comment. Bella laughed lightly.

"Emmett you do a wonderful job at comforting," She said to him. He smiled at her angelically.

"Kiss ass," Edward mumbled before he could stop himself. Bella turned and swatted him playfully.

_Edward, they are lying to me. What's really going on?_ Jasper thought, looking to Edward. Edward motioned to Bella without her noticing, letting him know that they couldn't talk while she was here.

"Bella, do you want to come help me pack?" Alice asked innocently. Bella thought nothing of it and nodded. Of course she would help her best friend.

**Meh... difficult-ness. Hopefully you guys will review if you still liked this even though it was crap, or if you want to tell me personally that it is crap hahaha. This is going to get confusing for a bit probably, but I swear it will all be revealed and make sense (if I do this right) So review if you will! **


	10. Hey Jealousy

**A/N: Ok so after that crap-tastic chapter I have decided to update (twice) tonight!!! Woot!! I don't know if these are any good, but it is explaining Jasper's situation. I'm sorry to those that want a Jasper/Bella fic, this isn't one. But I wrote one called Finding Forever which you can find on my profile if you want. Thank you all for your honesty and help. You've stuck with me, and that means a lot to me. If you can bear with two more chapters, it will start to pick up after these! **

Alice, Esme, Carlisle, and Rosalie had left the next morning before Bella had woken up. They had all said their 'goodbyes' the night before, and Bella couldn't help but notice how edgy Jasper had seemed after she had went to help Alice pack. Even when he hugged Alice goodbye, there was no emotion in it. Almost as if it were an embrace between acquaintances, merely hugging to be polite. Jasper had remained quiet the rest of the night, and even the next day while he and Edward went to hunt. Emmett stayed behind to make sure Bella was okay.

"I know this isn't really any of my business, but is there anything wrong between you and Alice?" Edward asked Jasper as they rested on top of a boulder after hunting. Jasper wanted to get back home, but Edward wanted to see if he could find anything out.

"Why do you ask?" Jasper asked cautiously. He picked up a pebble and crushed it between his first finger and thumb, marveling at how easy it was to break. He looked away in disgust.

"Last night you two seemed to be on different planets," Edward shrugged, trying to be nonchalant. Because this was Jasper he was speaking to, being sneaky wouldn't work.

"Why don't you just ask whatever it is you really want to know?" Jasper sighed.

"What's going on with you and Bella?" Edward asked blatantly, shocking even himself. Jasper glared at him.

"Why do you care?" He asked evenly.

"I-" He couldn't understand why this was so difficult. He had been trying desperately to make excuses as to why he cared for her so much, and why he was so drawn to her, but he came up with nothing.

"You like her," Jasper said. Edward growled as he stood.

"No," He hissed. Jasper looked at him as if he had just proven his point.

"It explains everything you're feeling. You sometimes forget that I feel what you feel," Jasper said heatedly.

"And you sometimes forget that I can read your thoughts," Edward threw back.

"Then why are you even asking?" Jasper spat out. He turned and took off toward the house, leaving Edward shocked and very confused. Did Jasper love Bella? What about Alice? And why was Edward so jealous that Jasper might have feelings for her? She wasn't his girlfriend, he had no right.

Just then, everything hit him like a ton of bricks. Images of Bella ran through his mind from the moment he got back from Alaska until the previous night. With each memory, no matter how small, he fell harder. Edward was in love with Bella and he had no idea how he hadn't realized it before. Every look, every touch, every smile, it all took his breath away. Even though things weren't always great between them, he still was captivated by her very existence. This was definitely not good. He sank down to the boulder he was on and stayed there for quite a while, trying to think of what to do next.

~*~*~*~*~

Jasper didn't go back to the house just yet, he was so angry at himself, and at the situation. There was only one person who could make him feel better at a time like this. He blew out a sigh and reached for his phone. He closed his eyes and waited for her to answer.

"Hello?" She asked, even though she knew it was Jasper.

"Alice, there's something I need to tell you," Jasper said hesitantly. Alice prepared herself for this; almost sure that she knew what was coming. She inhaled deeply preparing for the blow.

"What it is?" She asked, trying to keep her voice even.

"I need to get away from here. There is too much going on," Jasper started.

"Jazz, you have to stay with Bella," Alice said, even though it killed her.

"I can't be around Edward. He has realized he is in love with Bella. I'm not used to his emotions. I mean, I feel everyone's emotions but I am used to theirs because I have lived with them this long. Because of Edward's absence, I feel his emotions very strongly. It's giving me the feeling that I like Bella too," Jasper explained carefully. He shuddered at the thought. Alice's stomach relaxed and she could almost feel tears behind her eyes.

"Oh Jasper," She whispered. He could feel the relief from the phone.

"You thought I loved her," He said quietly.

"You have always been so close and the way you have been feeling for the past few weeks-" She started, but Jasper cut her off.

"Darlin' you are my world, you know that. Bella and I have always been close but in a sibling way. Edward has been realizing his feelings, and you have no idea how strong they are. I'm surprised he is just now figuring it out. If he would stop trying to deny it he would probably be much happier," Jasper explained. He felt terrible that it got bad enough to have Alice question him.

"I hope he doesn't run from this," She said quietly.

"I won't let him," Jasper promised.

"Jazz, I'm sorry," Alice said. She should have never put the idea in Edward's head.

"It isn't your fault. I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner. I figured I would be able to deal with it, but his feelings are unlike anything I have felt before. It's hard," He said.

"You're strong; I know you can deal with it. We haven't been able to get to Aro yet. I will call you guys when we know more," Alice explained.

"I love you. Please don't ever forget that," Jasper whispered.

"I love you too," Alice smiled. They hung up and Alice sighed a breath of relief. They would be meeting Aro in the next few days; she hoped that it would go as well. She couldn't see his decisions and that was scaring her just as bad as the prospect of losing Jasper had.

**I know, its short, and kind of a filler, but that is why I added another chapter! So review (please) and then go on to the next!**


	11. In My Dreams

**A/N: Weee another one... just some explaining, and semi fluff... hope its a little better than what I've been writing lately. Writers block sucks :( Thank you all though, you have been very patient and kind!**

Later that night, Edward still had not returned home, and Bella was frantic. Jasper had returned from their hunting trip alone, and Bella instantly started to worry.

"Where do you think he is?" Bella asked, following Jasper around, he would have laughed but he didn't want to seem insensitive.

"He had a lot on his mind. He probably just wants to be alone right now," Jasper had told her. She seemed to let it go for a while, but once it got dark and Edward still hadn't returned, she started again.

"Jasper, what happened to him?" She asked. She was tired, he could feel it. She yawned and realized how little she slept the night before. She never slept well knowing that someone was leaving, even if it were just for a while. Old habits and all.

"Bella, I am sure he is fine. How about we wait for him for another hour, and if he doesn't show, I will go find him," Jasper reasoned. He knew that Edward was just thinking. This is what he did when he came to a realization.

Forty minutes later, Bella was asleep leaning on Jasper. He was quietly reading a book and Emmett came into the den.

"She pass out naturally, or was that you?" He asked with a devious smile.

"All her. She didn't sleep last night," Jasper answered. Emmett nodded understanding why.

"I'm going to hunt, I'll keep an eye out for Edward," Emmett said. Jasper nodded and went still as he felt Bella stir. She leaned more into him, and her head was now in the crook of his neck, her shallow breath was tickling his skin. Right as Emmett left, Edward walked in.

He took in the scene in front of him, Jasper and Bella on the couch; she was asleep cuddled closely to him. He was holding a book with one hand, and had his other around her, holding her up. Jasper felt Edward's emotions go from confusion to anger and jealousy. He didn't say anything but lightly shook his head and started to walk towards his room. Nothing was worse than seeing the girl you love in the arms of someone else.

"Edward, wait." Jasper called quietly. Edward sighed and turned, watching as Jasper moved Bella carefully, trying not to wake her. He rubbed her head once to send relaxed feelings her way. Then he motioned for Edward to walk into the next room.

"What do you want?" Edward asked once they left the room.

"I want to clear something up. You are under the impression that I have feelings for Bella. I don't, she's like a sister to me," Jasper said. Edward didn't instantly believe him.

"Yeah, it sure doesn't seem that way," He said sarcastically. Jasper explained everything to him, the same way he explained to Alice. He felt Edward's emotions go from anger, to understanding, to guilt.

"Don't," Jasper warned.

"I practically put it into Alice's head about you and Bella. I could have been the reason you two broke up. And now Bella will probably hate me when she realizes my feelings. I should have never come back," Edward said, he couldn't realize how stupid he had been.

"This whole time, you've blamed yourself for hurting everyone. You thought it was a bad idea that you left because it hurt the family. But I think you made the right decision. Had you stayed, you and Bella would have the kind of relationship she and I have. The reason that the idea of me being in love with Bella is so ridiculous is because I have watched her grow up. I helped raise her. I have felt the love you have for her; it is beyond anything I've ever seen. You cannot leave, because this could be the best thing that has ever happened to you," Jasper urged.

Edward couldn't help the mixture of feelings running through him. He was excited about the prospect of what could happen between him and Bella, but he also felt terrible for questioning Jasper.

"You have no idea how sorry I am," Edward said finally. Jasper smiled and lightly smacked his shoulder.

"Yeah, I do," he said, "just try and keep your emotions from running wild in my presence. At least until I get used to them."

"I'll try my best," Edward laughed.

They walked back into the den, and Bella was still asleep on the couch. Her cheeks were flushed again, and her breathing was quick. Jasper was about to send her calming waves until he heard her speak.

"Edward," She said silently, and Edward's head turned at record speed to look at her. When he had realized that she was still sleeping, Jasper felt Edward's exuberance and saw the look of complete love wash over his face.

"She's dreaming about me," Edward whispered excitedly. Jasper couldn't help but smile. He had never witnessed this kind of love. Edward exuded love out of ever pore. A small twinge of jealousy ran through him, he wished that everyone could feel this. But out of everyone, Bella and Edward deserved it the most. All they needed to do now was stop fighting it.

"That's a start," Jasper smiled and walked to his room, letting Edward enjoy this moment without worrying about anything else for once.

**Please let me know if I'm doing any better. If not, I should probably not update until my writer's block is gone. I do have a better idea of where the story is going now though! Thanks for everything! Review!**


	12. Poker Face

**A/N: Bah, this is feeling forced, I'm really sorry guys. I didn't want to take forever to update and hopefully this is entertaining a little at least. Don't worry, I have a better idea of where this is going now, its just a matter of finding a way to do it that isn't rushed, or drawn out. This story might be kinda long haha, but not crazy long... I'm rambling, so I will stop now. Read on... **

The next morning after Bella had woken up and showered, Edward asked her if she would go for a hike with him. She was reluctant at first at the thought of being alone with him, but finally agreed. She didn't need Jasper to tell her what Edward felt toward her, he was making it pretty clear, but she never revealed her feelings for him. Bella's emotions were running wild, and she could hide them from everyone but Jasper. As soon as Edward headed to take a quick shower, Jasper decided to have a talk with her.

"Aren't you just a bundle of emotion?" He smirked as he snuck up behind her. She was sitting at the table eating a bowl of cereal. She jumped instantly and lightly hit him when she turned around.

"You know better than sneaking up on me! And what do you mean?" She asked, waiting for her heart to slow down.

"You know what I mean," Jasper teased. This was too easy, Bella was still confused about what he meant, yet she was blushing anyway.

"Jasper, just tell me," She rolled her eyes and got up to wash out her bowl. Jasper followed behind her.

"You so love him," He said, Bella's eyes grew two sizes and she squeaked, causing Jasper to laugh louder.

"I do not!" She protested, who was she kidding?

"Yeah, okay. So then explain to me why your emotions are going haywire every time he looks at you?" Jasper asked. She hated the cocky grin he would get when he teased her, because he was beautiful. _I wonder if Edward thinks I'm beautiful._ She completely shocked herself with her own thoughts. Jasper noted the embarrassment she felt and smiled wider.

"Stop it," She warned.

"What was that?" He asked laughing.

"You know what?" She nearly yelled in her frustration.

"Oh this should be good," Jasper said sarcastically, waiting for her reply. Bella stuck her tongue out at him and left the room quickly. He followed her, he was having too much fun and didn't want to stop until she admitted it.

While in the den, Bella turned around to see if Jasper was following her, she hadn't even realized that Edward had walked in from the other room as well. She growled lightly at Jasper and spun around too quickly. Just as she was about to fall, she felt two cold arms embrace her. She was amazed at how Jasper would be able to get to her so quickly, but soon realized that it wasn't Jasper that caught her this time.

Their faces were only inches away from each other, and the look shared between the two almost made Jasper shudder. Edward was looking deeply into her eyes as if he was admitting his undying love without words. Bella stared back as if she understood everything he was trying to tell her. Her breathing was heavy and the moment seemed to intimate to interrupt, Jasper left the room quietly.

Bella was the first to pull back, but noticed Edward's hands were still resting on her hips. He noticed the blush creep onto her cheeks and let go when he realized he was still holding her. The whole ordeal seemed to last hours, yet it was merely a minute.

"Thanks," She said quietly, not meeting his eyes.

"No problem, I'll um, be outside," Edward stammered. He quickly left the room before he made her any more uncomfortable.

Bella waited until she relaxed, and started to slip on her shoes, Jasper walked quietly into the den with a serious look on his face.

"What?" She asked, stopping everything. He looked at her for a full minute before he answered.

"L is for the way you look at him, O is for the only-" His singing was interrupted by Bella throwing her shoe at him. He dodged it gracefully and she growled.

"I do not like you right now," She mumbled. He kneeled next to her handing over her shoe.

"You love me and you know it," He smiled. She rolled her eyes.

"I don't want to do this anymore," She said quietly about her hike with Edward.

"Bells, give him a chance. I think you'll be surprised," Jasper said softly.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

The meadow Edward brought her to was beautiful; it looked like a scene from a fairytale. The grass was a light green and soft, the trees surrounded them making it feel very safe, and the wildflowers that were scattered everywhere had the most beautiful colors. It was breathtaking.

"Edward this place is gorgeous," Bella said softly. Edward dipped his head lightly before answering.

"When I found it, I instantly thought of you," He said, not able to meet her gaze. He loved her… that much he knew. As for Bella's feelings he was completely lost, all he had to go off of was the fact that she was dreaming about him the night before. Bella smiled lightly at him.

"Look, I want to apologize. After our big talk, we were supposed to be closer, but I still kept my distance from you. I just don't know how to go about all of this," Bella confessed. Edward was a little confused.

"All of what?" He asked, he had to be certain before he did anything that would scare her.

"I have a certain relationship with each person in this family. Carlisle and Esme are like parents to me, Alice is my best friend, Emmett is my big brother, Rosalie is like the cousin that you only like from a distance, and Jasper is my world in a way. You and I don't really have anything," Bella tried explaining. He could tell by her expression that she wasn't explaining this the way she wanted to. It was hard to hear that Jasper was her world, but Edward trusted Jasper when he said there was nothing going on.

"What do you want us to be?" Edward whispered. They were sitting next to each other; and a butterfly had landed on Bella's knee and she held out her hand patiently. It flew to her hand and stayed there, slowly moving its wings but not flying away. She smiled brilliantly at it.

"I don't really think that's up to me," She said. Edward was confused, he knew what he wanted, Bella was the one that didn't show anything.

"Bella I don't know what you mean," Edward said carefully. The butterfly flew away and Bella finally looked at him.

"I don't either," She said quickly and stood up. She walked around a little, clearly embarrassed. Edward finally stood while her back was to him. He grabbed her arm lightly and turned her around to face him.

"Bella, you have to know how I feel about you. I've hardly been hiding it," Edward said softly. It was true, he knew that he liked her for a while now; he just realized he loved her though. Bella looked toward the ground, answering his question without words.

"So what do you feel for me?" Edward whispered when she wouldn't speak. Bella's cheeks were bright pink now, and Edward couldn't explain the hope that it gave him to see her reacting that way.

"I-" She was cut off by Emmett coming through the clearing. Edward could have throttled him at that moment.

"Edward, I think we might have a problem. I can't reach Carlisle, you know, with Tanya and them, I thought they would have called by now. Jasper is trying Alice but he can't get through either," He said, trying not to sound too alarming because Bella still had no idea what was going on.

Bella noticed the way Edward stiffened when Emmett said they couldn't reach anyone, she was instantly worried.

"Is everything okay?" Bella asked. She got the feeling that there was more going on.

"I'm sure everything is fine. We should probably go back to the house to see if we can reach Esme or anyone else," Edward said, trying to cover the sadness in his voice. He was worried, but also knew that the family probably wouldn't be in touch a lot. He couldn't let this go though; he would find a way to talk about this with Bella when things cleared up. He had to know.

**One step closer :) Sexy looks between the two, Jasper breaking out into song, and shoes being thrown... its like a page out of my life. (But my friends aren't nearly as sexy as Edward, Emmett, and Jasper... drool) Hope you semi enjoyed. Reviews make the world go round, and help me update sooner haha!**


	13. Growing Up

**A/N: Okay, hope you guys enjoy this one, kinda a filler, but more fun then the last few. Thanks for sticking with this story, its taken a while, I just might be out of my rut thanks to all who review! :) Sit back and enjoy, I will try not to make you all wait this long again! **

"So you're sure you guys are okay?" Jasper asked Alice, he had finally gotten through to her over the phone after much worrying and threats of leaving to find her.

"Yes, we're okay. Aro was talking with all of us, and now he is alone with Carlisle. I'm not sure on where this is going yet because he keeps changing his mind, but it seems to be okay. He seems to be in a giving mood. Just make sure you tell everyone that we were out for the day and didn't take our phones. Bella can't catch on to this yet," Alice replied. Jasper hated lying to Bella.

"Okay, I'm glad you are okay. Send the rest of the family our love and keep in touch," Jasper said, trying to keep it light. He looked over on the couch where Bella and Edward were sitting, looking pretty comfortable for once. Finally he thought to himself. Edward smiled at him and waited until he hung up.

"Everything is okay?" Edward asked, keeping his cool. Emmett was pacing in the background, trying not to look scared.

"Yes, they went out with Tanya and Irina and didn't take their phones, but Alice said everything is fine, and things are looking up. Apparently Tanya and Irina are in a good mood," Jasper said carefully. Edward and Emmett nodded, and Bella smiled slightly.

"I will be right back, I need to go do something really quick," Edward announced randomly, standing up and taking off to the back of the house. He was going to hunt until he was completely full, he had something planned and he couldn't take any chances.

Emmett visibly relaxed and sat down next to Bella, grabbing the remote and turning on the television. Jasper stayed where he was and silently thanked whatever higher power there was that his family and wife were okay. He glanced at Bella and could tell she was fighting an inward battle. He got up and walked into the kitchen, sure that she would be following a few seconds later. They had an unspoken language which no one else got.

"What's on your mind?" Jasper asked when she got into the kitchen. She looked around as if Edward might jump out of a cupboard at any second yelling 'surprise!' and cleared her throat.

"I don't think I can deny this any longer," She confessed quietly.

"Then why are you?" Jasper asked, knowing exactly what she meant.

"Because I'm scared he will leave again. Because I don't know how the family will take this, and because I don't know if this is even possible," Bella explained.

"Why don't you stop worrying for once and act on your feelings?" Jasper suggested.

"What should I do?" She asked, looking to him for support. Jasper hated this; he knew long ago that he needed to let her grow up. He had been keeping Bella young for too long, helping her with every problem, and catching her every time she fell. As much as it hurt him to do this, he was going to have to.

"I can't help you there Bells, this one is your fight. You have to do this by yourself. I can't tell you what to feel," He said quietly, almost afraid to look her in the eyes. Bella realized what he meant, and then it really hit her.

"I am so sorry," She whispered her revelation.

"For?" Jasper asked.

"I have spent my entire life making my problems yours. Relying on you completely and not doing anything without consulting you. That isn't fair to you, or Alice, or even to me," She said, staring off into the distance, with unshed tears hanging at the bottoms of her eyes.

"I'm just as much to blame as you are. I've been more than happy to help, like an older sibling or parent, I was happy that someone needed me. But I was hurting more than helping. You can do this Bella. I will always be here for you, but you need to start making your decisions without me. You already know what you want from Edward, let yourself admit it for once," Jasper said. Bella smiled at him, and he pulled her into a hug.

"Thank you," She whispered.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Bella jumped slightly when she heard Edward jump in through her window. She had been reading Romeo and Juliet for the millionth time again, and she couldn't contain the feeling she got when she saw him standing there, looking at her.

She wasn't going to fight this any longer, there was no reason to, she knew what she wanted, and she knew what he wanted. She was going to have to grow up eventually. When Edward took a step toward her, she got up and for the first time, met him half-way.

"I wanted to continue our talk from earlier," He said softly, his intense gaze resting on her lips. Bella blushed furiously; sure she loved him, but who wouldn't tremble when he looked at them like that? She noticed his eyes; there were the brightest color of topaz she had ever seen on any of the family.

"Hunting?" She asked, trying to keep her cool. He smiled, and she went weak.

"I think I'm good for about a month. I can't even look at blood right now," He admitted, but that was the plan all along. He took another step to her, and this time she didn't back off. She held her head high and smiled.

"Good to know you aren't hungry," Bella said. Damn it Bella, how lame was that? Don't lose your cool. She thought to herself. Edward took another step, now he was close enough to where she could feel his breath on her when he spoke.

"Not for blood," He whispered. He smiled wider when he heard her heart beat pick up, and when the blush crept down her neck to her chest.

"Do you trust me?" He asked her quietly.

"Yes," She whispered. He smiled again, and lightly put his hands around her waist. He pulled her against his body, and she shivered. She tried to convince herself that it was because his skin was so cold, but she knew better.

"Edward?" She whispered, not even knowing why. He smiled as he dipped his head towards hers. Her heart was pounding against her chest, she could even hear it.

"Don't move," He said silently. She closed her eyes, and finally, she felt his cold lips touch hers. They were incredibly smooth, and the cold actually felt amazing. He was careful not to let his teeth graze her, but aside from that, he threw caution to the wind. He wouldn't hurt her, he was in too deep.

She moaned when she felt his tongue sweep over her lips, begging for entrance, and she didn't deny him. He pulled her closer, so she felt every inch of his body on hers, and she moaned again. Edward finally knew what heaven was like, and there was no way he was letting it go. Finally, he pulled back, knowing that Bella would have to breathe at some point.

She looked at him with such intensity; he nearly shuddered under her gaze. How a human could have so much power over him completely amazed Edward.

"I didn't get to answer you earlier," She whispered, resting her forehead on his. This time, he wished he had a heart, so he could feel it speed up the way Bella's did.

"Oh?" Edward asked, at a loss for words. Sneaky human, stealing his heart.

"I love you Edward," She said, so only his vampire ears could hear. There were no words to describe the love and excitement that flooded his emotions. He pulled her in to another kiss, and chuckled when he heard Jasper yelling from downstairs.

"It's about damn time!"

**Yay, I love them! And I definately love reviews, so please do so!!! You guys are incredibly helpful and I don't know what I would do without you! Drama of course is in store, but what kind of story would it be without some Italian drama? ;)**


	14. Changes

**A/N: Thank you all for the awesome reviews! It is making this go by a little easier! Tried to make this one longer, it is mainly talking, but it has importance to the story.**

Jasper answered his phone on the first ring, waiting to hear what Carlisle had to say, it was late, and Bella was asleep on the couch cuddled into Edward. Emmett was on the chair playing a video game, which he paused as soon as the phone rang.

"So what is the verdict?" Jasper asked quietly.

"Aro was pretty lenient because of the circumstances in which we found Bella. Still, he suggested that we should have given her up to an adoption agency instead of brining her into our world," Carlisle started. Jasper rolled his eyes when he heard Rosalie on the other end saying how the family should have listened to her in the first place.

"So what is he going to do?" Jasper asked, he was frightened for Bella, Aro and his brothers were not vampires you wanted to mess with. They held her fate in the palm of their hands, he prayed silently.

"Our only choice is to change her. We had told them that she has been silent about this since she found out, but he doesn't trust humans. We have four months to do this," Carlisle said tightly.

Edward, who had been hanging on to every word, was furious. Jasper heard a low growl escape from his lips, but he tried to keep it silent so he wouldn't wake Bella. Jasper cursed inwardly.

"So she doesn't have a choice. Even though we always told her that she would," Jasper spat. He wasn't angry with Carlisle, but he always had a hard time keeping his emotions at bay.

"We didn't think about it then. We haven't had any reason to hear from Aro since before Edward came about. Even then, they had no way of knowing she was with us. The only way the Volturi would find out is if they specifically looked into our family for any reason. This wasn't on purpose, Jasper." Carlisle said calmly.

"I'm not blaming you, I just feel terrible that we didn't consider this before," Jasper admitted.

"I know, we will discuss this further when we get back. We should be back tomorrow night. Make sure you all go to school tomorrow, we can't act as if anything has changed yet," Carlisle said. Jasper let him know that they would and sighed loudly when he hung up the phone.

"You both heard him," Jasper said, not wanting to have to repeat any of it. Emmett was quiet, nodding his head absently.

"She cannot be changed. There has to be some other way," Edward sneered.

"Edward, we don't have much of a choice," Emmett reasoned. Edward growled again, moving lightly from under Bella. He placed her softly back on the couch and motioned for Emmett and Jasper to follow him into the kitchen.

"Come on, we have to think of something," He said, pacing the kitchen. He did not want Bella to be stuck in a life like theirs. It was no way for her to live.

"Calm down, Romeo. Think about this logically. Don't you think that if there was another way, that Carlisle or Alice would have brought it up?" Jasper said. He was just as angry, but he knew the reality of the situation. Bella wasn't dumb, she knew she was going to have this option come along, so she was prepared to talk about it. What she didn't know though, was it really wasn't a choice anymore. She never seemed completely opposed to the idea, but she never seemed to be excited about it either.

"There has to be _something_ there always is," Edward yelled. Emmett reminded him to keep his voice down and Edward chuckled bitterly.

"Why wouldn't you want this for her? She has grown up with vampires for as long as she can remember. She is accustomed to how we live our life. The good out-weighs the bad here. She will get to be with us for eternity, and that means that she will be with _you_ for eternity. How are you so against this?" Jasper asked. He didn't like the idea, and he could feel that Emmett didn't either, but they both saw the bright side of the situation.

"We are monsters. I don't want her to have to live out her life like we are. We don't have the option of being anything better. She does," Edward argued.

"No, she doesn't. Not anymore," Jasper said calmly. Edward growled and grabbed Jasper by the arms, throwing him back into the cupboards. They cracked beneath him, and he gracefully landed on his feet, looking at Edward evenly.

"Do not say that," Edward threatened. Emmett was holding him back in all of the commotion, and didn't notice that Bella was standing behind him, watching the whole ordeal.

"Edward!" She exclaimed. He closed his eyes and sighed. He lost control; he didn't mean to take it out on Jasper.

"I'm sorry man, I didn't mean to lose my head," Edward apologized quietly. He turned to look into the blazing eyes of Bella. He walked toward her trying to reach out to her, but she stepped aside, putting herself between him and Jasper.

"Someone better tell me what is going on here, now," Her words were dripping venom; they all knew that she hated being lied to.

"It's nothing, love. Just a small misunderstanding," Edward lied. She looked down with cold eyes and smiled bitterly.

"Em, how about you?" She asked. He looked to both of his brothers, Edward sternly telling him 'no' with his eyes, and Jasper losing his nerve of lying to her.

"Um, nothing?" He asked. Edward closed his eyes and shook his head in defeat. Bella shook her head lightly and turned to Jasper. He felt the weight of her stare and nearly collapsed. He could not handle lying to Bella.

"Jasper, please?" She begged. His resolve was lost in the agony in her eyes. The milk chocolate orbs filled with tears and he was done.

"You're going to need to sit down for this," He explained.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"Okay, so I have to be changed. That's fine," Bella said, not really seeing how this was a problem. Sure she was scared, and of course hated that the choice was made for her, but she saw no down-side. She would get to be with her family and Edward for the rest of their existence.

"It is not fine," Edward growled. He could have killed Jasper, she was not supposed to find out about this until later, and by that time he was hoping to have a plan.

"Oh? How do you see any way around this?" She asked bitterly. She was angry that he lied to her, and hurt because she thought him being against this had something to do with their relationship. Why wouldn't he want to be with her forever? She nearly cried at the thought, but Jasper sent her waves of calm.

"We can run," He said, even though he knew it was a stupid idea.

"Not from them. They will find us, and when they do, it will be worse. This isn't your choice Edward," Bella fought back.

"Yes it is! I was the one that brought you into this mess, it is up to me to get you out of it," He said raising his voice. He didn't mean to do this to Bella, but he couldn't stop himself. Bella was furious.

"This is _my _life, therefore it is_ my _choice. You are not my father!" Bella yelled standing up getting ready to leave the room. Jasper stopped her at the door.

"He isn't trying to make this decision for you. He loves you too much to see you end up like us," He said quietly. She looked back at Edward, feeling her anger slip away. She wasn't sure if it was because of Jasper, or because of how much she loved him.

"He lied to me," She said. Edward put his head down a little, hating himself even more.

"So did I. You can't blame us for wanting to see if this would blow over before we worried you. We are all very sorry. When the rest of the family gets back, we will talk about it more. But it will do you no good to be angry over nothing," Jasper said so quietly that Bella could barely hear him. He grabbed Emmett and pulled him out of the room so Bella and Edward could have some privacy.

"You know I just want the best for you," Edward tried to explain.

"How come you wouldn't want to be with me for eternity?" Bella asked. Edward then realized what was upsetting her. He was up and pulling her into his arms in an instant.

"I do, believe me I do. I just want better for you. We are damned, we have no where to go, and this life is nothing to be happy about. I love you so much, I don't want you to have my fate," Edward reasoned. He pulled Bella close and kissed the tears that were running down her cheeks.

"I don't see how having you forever is a bad thing. I want this Edward. Please don't fight me," Bella whispered. He kissed her again, pouring all of his love into her. He wouldn't give up on this just yet. There had to be a way around it.

**Bah, drama. Edward was always so against her being turned, so I couldnt see making a story where he is like, "cool, bring it!" haha. I'm sorry if it was boring, but it was kind of necessary, please review, I love hearing from you guys :)**


	15. Soon Enough

**A/N: Okay so this is taking a while because my life is starting to get pretty crazy (I have a LOT going on right now lol) so I will try to update as much as I possibly can. I will try not to leave you guys hanging for a week again :( Also, I tried to do this quickly so you guys could have an update, so I didn't get to review it all that much. If there are mistakes I'm sorry!**

"Okay, so we have four months to do this. So I need you guys to help me with this. I understand the basics, but I'm kind of worried about the hunting thing, because you all see how graceful I am. And when you change, Jasper said it's painful, and you know how I am with pain," Bella was talking a mile a minute. Edward figured it was just Bella being Bella, but Jasper knew it was because she was nervous. He tried to calm her down, but it wasn't working out too well.

"Bells, we don't have to talk about this right now," Jasper said quietly from his spot on the couch. Rosalie was reading a magazine next to him, and Emmett was absentmindedly playing with her hair. Edward was pacing, something that he had been doing a lot in the last couple of days, and Alice was sitting at Bella's feet.

"But the sooner we get it out of the way, the better," Bella argued.

"So Edward, when are you going to do it?" Rosalie asked, not looking up from her magazine, all she cared about was getting this done and over with. If Bella wasn't human anymore, she didn't have to worry about them getting caught. Edward stopped pacing and nearly jumped her.

"I'm not," He said harshly. Bella looked over at him, clearly hurt.

"You aren't?" She asked, trying to hold back the tears. She wanted Edward to be the one to change her more than anything.

"No," He said coldly, not looking at her. Jasper filled her senses with happiness and love, but she wasn't fooled. She blinked her tears back a few times, and tried her best to not sound hurt.

"Jasper, will you do it please?" She asked, with a small voice that she didn't recognize. Jasper was glaring daggers at Edward, but turned to her before she could see it.

"If that's what you want," He answered softly.

_Outside, now. _Jasper thought to Edward. He walked outside the house and waited a few minutes until he heard Edward excuse himself. When he walked out, Jasper yanked him across the yard so that no one could hear them.

"What?" Edward asked.

"What the hell is your problem? Why won't you do this for her?" Jasper yelled.

"I can't be the one who does this to her. Not when I'm the only one that is against this," Edward explained.

"Did you ever think about why Bella wants you to be the one to do this?" Jasper asked incredulously.

"No, I don't think it matters who does it. It's going to get the same result," Edward said completely confused.

"For someone so smart, you sure are an idiot. She wants the one she loves to change her. It will make her feel closer to you. Can you put aside your own issues and do this for her?" Jasper exclaimed. Edward mentally smacked himself in the head.

"I didn't even think of it that way. Oh wow, I suck at this boyfriend thing," Edward said sullenly. As much as Jasper would have loved to make fun of him for pouting the way he was, he was angry.

"Yes you do," He said.

"Thank you, Jasper. You always have my back with this," Edward said gratefully.

"That was the last time," Jasper said quietly.

"What?" Edward asked.

"Look, I love the idea of you and Bella together. But I am not going to spend the rest of my existence as the third person in your relationship. You need to wise up. I can't be the person that makes you realize your mistakes. I had to let Bella go, I have to do it with you too. I can't always be the one fixing your problems," Jasper explained. He hated the way it made him sound, but if Edward and Bella were going to be together forever, it was about time they started understanding each other.

Edward was shocked at Jasper's little speech, but quickly realized that Jasper was right. With every problem Edward had with Bella, Jasper was there to pick up the pieces and fit them back together. Even when Bella was younger, Jasper seemed to be the one fixing what Edward did. He had his own reality check, and felt terrible.

"You are completely right. I'm sorry, Jasper," Edward said. They didn't need words, Jasper understood, and Edward got that.

"Good, now go fix it. Idiot," Jasper smiled. Edward socked his arm lightly and went to apologize to Bella.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"How bad will it hurt?" Bella asked softly. She was currently laying with Edward in their meadow; it was sunny that day, so they had to avoid school. Due to the recent circumstances, Esme and Carlisle let Bella take the day off as well.

"Is this all you are going to talk about until it happens?" Edward sighed. Ever since he told Bella he would love to be the one to change her, he felt like that was all she ever wanted to discuss.

"Edward, this is life changing. Well, life ending really," She joked, but Edward's eyes went cold and she stopped laughing.

"Stop it," He said softly.

"This is the only way I am going to be able to deal with it. It is scary and hard because I don't get to choose when it happens. But I won't bring it up as much," She promised.

Edward hugged her close to him, and inhaled her scent. He wasn't going to miss how her scent affected him, but he would miss how sweet it was. When he looked down at her expressing all his love with just his eyes, he marveled at how deeply she blushed. He was going to miss that the most.

"I love you, Bella." He whispered against her neck. She shivered and pulled him closer. He placed a soft kiss against her neck and she felt sparks all through her body. Being a teenage girl, she definitely had wants. She brought his face to hers, and she kissed him fiercely.

He rolled them so that she was on her back, and he was slightly above her, but never broke the kiss, she was assaulting him with her tongue and he swore his cold body was starting to burn. Her hands were grazing up and down his body, and she cautiously started moving them lower. Edward hadn't realized what she was doing yet, but he was slowly starting to lose his restraint, so he moved to her neck once again.

She moaned his name as he whispered kisses down to the base of her shoulder, and he stiffened when her hands were getting closer to a certain spot. He sat up quickly, and looked down at her in question. Her lips were swollen and pink from his kisses, and her cheeks were the color of rubies.

Bella had absolutely no experience with anything sexual, she just knew the stories about how Emmett and Rosalie broke their house. Jasper and Alice weren't as open about their sex life, and Carlisle and Esme never spoke about theirs, which Bella was secretly grateful for. But every time Edward touched her, or kissed her, Bella wanted more. And she had no idea how to express this to Edward in way where she wouldn't want to hide under a rock for the rest of time.

"I'm sorry, I think." Bella said quietly. _He must not want me_ she thought to herself sadly. Edward grabbed her hand gently and pulled her up.

"We should be getting back to the house, love." Edward said softly. He didn't want to ever have this talk with her. After she was changed, this would never be a problem, but he couldn't handle it now. Edward had never had sex before or anything even remotely close. He wasn't the typical guy where his parents caught him with a magazine and some lotion or anything. He wanted it to be special, and it wouldn't be if he lost control with Bella.

She nodded quietly and let him pull her up. When they were standing, he pulled her into his arms and hugged her tightly for a few minutes, hoping that she would understand through his hug that this definitely wasn't about not wanting it. He kissed her forehead tenderly, and placed a chaste kiss to her lips.

"Please don't jump to conclusions, love." He said. He may not have been able to hear her thoughts, but for once, he knew exactly what she was thinking.

**Okay, I'm trying to make more chapters for this because the ending I have in mind will only take a few, and this doesn't exactly seem complete to me, so I am trying to add some extra stuff so it doesn't seem rushed. So here is where my wonderful readers come in, should I continue to add more (not a crazy amount or anything) or just finish this up soon? I kind of want to add more because I like writing obviously, but I don't want to drag this on and have you all completely annoyed with me haha! So let me know! And let me know your thoughts on this chapter... should we get Edward and Bella lovin? ;) **


	16. Snack

**A/N: Okay this one is _slightly_ longer than the rest, hopefully that makes up for the time I take to update. This is where the story will start picking up a little more (Thankfully lol) so I hope you enjoy!**

School was going very slow for Bella, and now that she and Edward were together and seeing each other in every other class, all she could think about was how bad she wanted him. Alice laughed when Bella explained her predicament.

"I feel like a perv-, this sucks!" Bella whined, resting her head on her arms. It was lunch time and Alice and Bella decided to skip sitting with everyone in the lunch room and went into the gym instead.

"It's totally normal, don't worry about it," Alice tried to relax her, but since she didn't have Jasper's gift, it wasn't working too well.

"But he won't even talk about it!" Bella argued, it scared her that he was refusing to even get on the subject. Every guy would jump at the prospect of having sex but not Edward. She couldn't help but think it was because of her, even though he told her that wasn't the reason.

"He doesn't want to hurt you. Once you are changed then it won't be a problem. Trust me, he wants you," Alice promised. Bella seemed to lighten up a bit; just as they saw Jasper and Edward walk through the doors.

"See, he can't even stand being away from you for one lunch period," Alice joked. Jasper smirked when they approached them.

"Sorry, I tried to keep him away but he started pouting. You know how brooding he gets, and no one likes a brooding Edward," Jasper teased. Edward rolled his eyes and held his hand out to Bella. She took it and he pulled her close to him.

"I missed you, love." He whispered to her. Bella smiled and hugged him tighter.

"Hey Bella," Angela called as she approached the group. "Are we still on for today after school?" Bella was supposed to go over to Angela's house to study for their upcoming final.

"Yeah, definitely." Bella answered. Lunch ended when the last bell rang and it was time to get to class. Everyone said goodbye and Edward kissed Bella and told her he would see her after school. Angela and Bella started toward 6th period together.

"Does Edward always do that smoldering thing with his eyes?" Angela asked. Bella laughed and looked back at Edward. He obviously was listening to their conversation because he looked offended.

"Frequently. It takes some getting used to," Bella laughed again.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

When Angela dropped Bella off, Bella told her to stop a ways from the house. It was kind of far into the woods and no one knew that she lived with the Cullen's and she wanted to keep it that way.

"Are you sure? I can drive you the rest of the way," Angela asked.

"It's not far. Most people get lost trying to find their way back out of the woods so it is just easier when people drop me off here," Bella lied. For once she did it convincingly. The house was still kind of far, but Bella would rather walk. Angela said goodbye and pulled away when she lost sight of Bella in the woods.

It wasn't raining, but it was definitely dark outside, making the woods seem even darker. Bella shivered when the wind picked up, and she picked up her speed. She still couldn't even see the house, and her cell phone was dead, so she couldn't call Edward to come meet her.

"Come on Bella, be a big girl." She muttered to herself. She walked a little farther, and stopped when she heard a noise behind her. She froze and stopped breathing for a second. She slowly looked around but saw nothing.

She continued walking but again, she heard something. She got the feeling that someone was behind her, so instead of stopping, she started to walk faster. In a flash, someone was in front of her, and she jumped back when she saw him.

He was a head taller than she was and very muscular, he had long blonde hair that was tied back in a ponytail, and his eyes were the color of crimson. _I don't want to die._ Bella thought to herself.

"Well what do we have here?" The stranger said with a velvety voice. He sauntered over to her slowly and held out his hand to help her up. Bella eyed his hand but didn't move.

She was about to get up when she felt someone behind her picking her up. She screamed until she realized it was Alice and Rosalie, and that Jasper, Emmett, and Edward were all crouched in front of the stranger growling at him.

"I'm sorry, is this your snack?" He asked smiling smugly as he gestured to Bella.

"Who are you?" Jasper asked, avoiding the subject.

"James, I'm just traveling through. I caught her scent and couldn't help myself," He smiled.

"Well I'm sorry, she's ours," Edward growled. James noticed their eye color and smiled even wider.

"Changing your, diet are you?" He asked. Alice and Rosalie tightened their hold around Bella and Edward growled again.

"You need to leave town, now." Emmett threatened, stepping forward to show James how big he truly is.

"I had no intention on staying. As I said before, I was passing though and got a little thirsty, and then I caught the scent of something incredibly sweet," James answered. He looked directly at Bella and smiled suggestively at her. Edward was about to attack but Jasper held him back.

"Well I hate to ruin your meal, but we can't let that happen. You'll need to leave now," Jasper said calmly. He sent waves of calm to James as well.

"I see I am out-numbered here. I will be on my way then," He said smoothly, eyeing Bella still. Edward growled once more, catching the attention of James. _Ah, this one is too protective of the human. We'll see about that._ Edward growled even louder as James disappeared into the woods.

After they made sure that he was far enough they all relaxed and Alice and Rosalie let go of Bella. Bella was shaking slightly, and she nearly collapsed into Edward's embrace when he pulled her to him.

"I have to get her out of here, he's a hunter," Edward said quietly.

"What do you mean?" Bella asked, clearly freaking out.

"I just messed everything up!" Edward yelled, causing Bella to jump.

"Calm down. Tell us what's going on," Jasper asked, calming Bella a little so she would stop shaking.

"I heard his thoughts. When he noticed how protective I was over Bella it basically became a game to him!" Edward yelled. He let go of Bella and was pacing.

"He's only one vampire, we can take him." Emmett said trying to alleviate the mood.

"We can't take any risks!" Edward argued.

"Then we need to hunt him first," Alice said.

"Or we can change her early and we won't have to worry about this," Rosalie said. As soon as the words left her mouth Edward growled and shoved her against a nearby tree. Emmett and Alice jumped in to stop it, and Jasper grabbed Bella before she tried to get in the middle.

Bella tuned out all the yelling and waited until she heard Edward apologize before she started to pay attention again. This was a lot to take in.

"We can't stay here, and we can't have her scent leading back to the house," Alice said when everyone was calm.

"Alice and I will take Bella to the hospital and see what Carlisle says. We'll call you when we have a plan," Jasper said.

"I'll take her," Edward said.

"No, James will expect you to be with Bella. He won't come after her in public; if he comes back to the house then you guys will be ready for him. Alice go get the car and I will stay here with Bella until you get back," Jasper said. Alice ran off toward the house to get the car.

"I'm so sorry, love." Edward apologized; he hated himself all over again. _How come I nearly get her killed every time I get to close to her? _Edward thought to himself.

"Be careful okay?" Bella said. She was terrified, and not even for herself. She was terrified that James would come and hurt one of them, and it would be all her fault.

"I won't let anything happen to you okay?" Edward promised. Bella nodded.

"I know," She said softly, trying not to cry. He kissed her sweetly before following Emmett and Rosalie back to the house.

"What are you thinking?" Jasper asked when he felt her emotions go from fear to determination. Bella looked back and made sure no one was around.

"Jasper, change me," Bella said.

"Are you crazy?" Jasper asked.

"Come on. It will stop all of this," Bella argued.

"No," Jasper answered sternly. He was keeping watch around them, waiting for Alice to show up with the car. Bella felt around in her pockets for her keys. She winced as she ran the back of her finger around it roughly until she could feel the blood starting to drip.

Jasper's head whipped around instantly when he smelt the blood. His eyes were pitch black.

"Please, Jasper."

**Dun dun dunnnnnn... stupid Bella haha. Review and let me know how I'm doing and if ya like it! I love all my reviewers, you guys are the best! **


	17. Gone

**A/N: I am sooo sorry that I am taking so long with this, like I said before, there is a lot going on so I have less time to write. And I am kind of scatter-brained at the moment so if this chapter isn't up to par, I am very sorry. Feel free to unleash your fury! **

Bella's heart-rate picked up, and as used to her scent as Jasper was, it was still intoxicating. All he could focus on was calming down, and making sure he realized what situation he was in.

_This is Bella, you have to fight this._ Jasper kept telling himself in his head. _God, please don't let me hurt her._ He begged silently. Bella remained in her spot watching Jasper, his eyes were closed and you could tell by the expression on his face that he was fighting an inner battle. The whole ordeal took seconds, but felt like a lifetime to her.

After a few more seconds, Jasper exhaled and opened his eyes again, which were back to the topaz color, just slightly darker.

"How could you do that to me?" Jasper asked, clearly hurt. His voice even broke, and when it did, Bella's heart broke as well.

"Jasper I am so sorry! I didn't even stop to think about what I was doing." Bella apologized, feeling truly disgusted with herself. _How Selfish am I?_ She thought. She quickly wrapped her finger with a tissue she had shoved in her pocket, and returned her hand to her pocket trying to keep it out of Jasper's way.

Alice pulled up a moment after, explaining that she was packing some clothes for Bella that didn't have her scent on them. After she did so, she realized that something was wrong. Jasper was looking at Bella with such a hurt expression; you would have thought she murdered his dog or something.

Jasper snapped out of his mood and opened Bella's door and motioned for her to get in. When she did, Jasper got in the passenger seat and Alice drove off towards the hospital.

"What happened back there?" Alice asked. Bella was looking ten shades of guilty, Jasper looked like he was about to cry, and neither were talking. Jasper and Bella met eyes through the side mirror of the car for a split second. Bella started to talk, but Jasper cut her off.

"Nothing." He answered with a tone that left no room for questioning.

When they met up with Carlisle, Edward had already called and explained the whole situation to him. He guided them into his office, and shut the door.

"We need to find a way to get to this guy and take care of him," Jasper said tightly. Carlisle noticed the tension in Jasper's eyes, and the look of guilt Bella had. He asked what happened as well, with the same answer from Jasper.

"Lying isn't going to help the situation. What happened?" Carlisle asked. Again, Bella started to speak but Jasper cut her off.

"Bella accidentally scraped her finger while we were waiting for Alice to come around with the car and started bleeding. I almost lost control and I feel terrible for it, so bringing it up again isn't really helping," Jasper said, looking down. Carlisle felt bad instantly and apologized.

There were no words for how terrible Bella felt. She knew Jasper was almost as weak as Edward when it came to the bloodlust, and she used it against him. She didn't think of it that way at the time, but that's definitely how it looked and felt. Jasper wouldn't even look at her, and she felt like crawling into the corner and dying.

The next few minutes were spent planning. Edward didn't want to take any risks so he wanted Bella away from Forks for the time being, at least until they could find James and get rid of him. Bella zoned in and out of the conversation, unable to think of anything other than how to apologize to Jasper. Jasper could feel her sadness and guilt, but he was also hurt so he couldn't tell where his feelings stopped and where hers began. He looked over at Alice who went completely still as her eyes glazed over.

In Alice's vision, she saw Bella's decision to apologize to Jasper for what she did. Alice nearly gasped when she saw what happened. How could Bella put herself in danger like that? Alice didn't completely blame Bella because she could see that Bella's intentions were good, but she couldn't help but feel a little bothered by it happening to Jasper. When Alice's vision stopped, everyone was looking at her to see what she saw. She didn't feel like it was her place to unveil Jasper and Bella's situation so she fibbed.

"I can't really see anything. James keeps changing his mind," She said convincingly.

"Okay, then we should get Bella out of here as soon as possible. Start toward Oregon until we call you with details," Carlisle said, returning to his "all business" attitude. He would die before he let anything happen to any of his children, and because Bella was still human, he worried about her more than he did the others, he couldn't help it.

"Something tells me that I need to stay here. Jasper can take Bella, and I will be here to help. Is that okay?" Alice asked Jasper particularly. Jasper nodded without delay which gave Bella some hope that he didn't hate her after all.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

It had been twenty minutes of silent driving until Bella couldn't take it anymore. Jasper had never been angry with her before and it was excruciating.

"Jasper, why didn't you tell them what really happened?" Bella asked. Jasper didn't take his eyes off the road when he answered.

"Because I don't want anyone to be angry with you," He said.

"You don't have to believe me, but I really wasn't thinking about the consequences when I did that, I was just trying to keep everyone out of danger," Bella said quietly. She knew that was no excuse, but it was true.

"I know that, Bella. But you have to think about the consequences with us. With the exception of the James thing, I have never lied to you, so you know how hard it was for me when you first came to live with us. It took me a long time to get used to your scent, and you have always been very careful so if you ever had a cut or anything, you knew exactly what to do. But you did this intentionally, with me right in front of you. I'm not even worried at the prospect of what Edward would have done to me. But I would never be able to forgive myself if I did anything to hurt you. That is why I am so upset," Jasper answered, unleashing all of his hurt. He didn't mean to, but he couldn't keep it in.

Bella was in tears, she knew he wasn't saying any of that to hurt her, but she still felt completely guilty, which she was.

"I can't put into words how sorry I am. But I know you can feel it." Bella said very quietly. It was true. Jasper felt every single bit of remorse and hurt she was feeling. He pulled the car over to the side of the road and hugged her tightly.

"Bells, you're my little sister, and I love you. But don't ever do anything like that again, okay?" Jasper asked, squeezing her once more.

"I swear," Bella answered. He got back onto the road feeling much better.

They talked a little through the drive, but because of the danger they knew they were in, it was still pretty quiet. Jasper's cell phone rang, and he answered, and then handed the phone to Bella.

"Hello love," She heard Edward say. Her heart skipped a few beats, and for that moment, everything was better again.

"Is everything okay?" Bella asked. Jasper could feel the love radiating off of Bella, and he smirked knowingly at her. She lightly hit him and waited for Edward to answer.

"We've lost James. Alice isn't getting any visions, and none of us can seem to catch his scent. You and Jasper do what Carlisle said, and we will come to you guys and figure out where to go from there," Edward said.

"Okay. Edward?" Bella asked.

"Yes love?" He asked. Bella hesitated.

"Nothing, I love you," She said. Bella wanted to pour her heart out to him, and explain that he was her everything, her center of the universe, her reason for being. But she couldn't do that over the phone, it would have meant very little. She wanted to be in his arms and staring deeply into his loving eyes when she finally expressed all that she had been holding back.

"I love you too, so much." Edward breathed. He was beside himself with fear, she was his life, and she was in danger because of him. Silly vampire, thinking he can keep a human safe. He sighed in disgust.

"Be careful." Bella said. They hung up, and Bella wiped the tears away before they fell from her eyes.

"It will be okay, Bells. We'll catch him. And when we do, you can run into Edward's waiting arms, and be as gushy as you want," Jasper teased. For the first time in hours, Bella had hope.

**Sooo James is sneaky which is never a good thing.... Review my pretties!**


	18. Somebody Save Me

**A/N: Okay so the last chapter was the first (and last) chapter where I didn't respond to any of my reviewers. I am really sorry about that. I have been going through a recent tragic event which I try not to talk about on here, but it has been affecting my story. I am feeling detached, therefore it shows in my writing. I am only telling you guys this to apologize for the lack of depth in my characters and in Bella/Edward's relationship. I am definatley trying to make up for it in this chapter and hopefully I do so. I will try not to post filler chapters because it is just dragging this on, so if it takes a little longer for updates, I am very sorry. I want to thank you all for hanging in with me though. You guys really are the best! :) Hopefully you enjoy this one! **

Bella was absentmindedly flipping through channels in the hotel room that she and Jasper got. No one had called with any information, and they couldn't get through to anyone on their phones. Bella was so preoccupied with worrying about everyone (namely Edward) that she hadn't noticed the state that Jasper was currently in. He had locked himself in the bathroom a while ago saying that he was going to keep trying to get in touch with someone in the family.

After realizing that Jasper had been in there for over an hour, Bella jumped from the bed quickly and called to him through the door.

"Are you okay?" She asked.

"Yeah," He answered from the other side. Bella ran through ideas of what could possibly be keeping him in there. Since he wasn't human, he couldn't have come down with a scorching case of diarrhea, the shower wasn't running, and he wasn't throwing a hissy fit, so she was at a loss.

"Will you come out, please?" Bella called.

"I can't," Jasper called.

"Try the little dial on the doorknob. It is called a lock, if you twist it like so-" Jasper cut off Bella's sarcasm.

"I need to hunt, but Alice sent me a text message five minutes ago saying that I cannot leave you alone," Jasper called back.

"I hate to break it to you, but I am kind of alone," Bella pointed out. A few minutes later, the door opened, and Bella nearly gasped. Jasper's eyes were pitch-black.

"I can't even breathe," He said quickly, his onyx orbs almost glaring at her.

"Take me with you," Bella suggested.

"Are you kidding? There is a reason none of us has ever taken you on hunting trips. You would freak out," Jasper said, putting as much distance as he could between them.

"Yes, but that was when I still had an unlimited amount of time as a human. Maybe it will good for me to see this now," Bella tried to reason. Jasper was considering it.

"Edward would kill me," Jasper said, looking away.

"I will take full responsibility," Bella promised. Jasper hated that he was even considering this. But since Alice hadn't text anything else, and hadn't answered his text asking her to elaborate, he was afraid that he would have to take her. She was in more danger being locked in a room with him.

"I don't know," He said.

"Please Jasp-"

"Don't even say it. The last time you 'please Jasper-ed' me you nearly ended up my lunch," He huffed. Bella smiled, knowing that she won.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Bella realized that Jasper was right when he said that she would freak out. Not only did she nearly have a heart attack when she saw the mountain lion lunge at Jasper, but she almost puked when she heard Jasper snap its neck. After the first one, she refused to watch, and simply turned around.

"Okay, I think I'm good for a while. Let's get back," Jasper said, slinging Bella onto his back, preparing for the run back to the hotel.

Bella kept her eyes closed every time she had to run with someone, the speed alone made her sick. She tried to focus on the wind blowing through her hair, and her death-grip on Jasper, but before she knew what was happening, she was being thrown backwards through the air. She felt completely broken as her body collided with a tree and fell to the ground.

Through the blur of her tears, she could see two figures laying into Jasper. One was muscular with long blonde hair, and she felt her heart stop when she realized it was James. The other one was so big, he made Emmett look tiny. Even though every inch of her body protested, Bella tried her best to stand.

"James, the girl," Yelled the huge one. James sauntered over to Bella as she was trying desperately to get up. He reached her just as she managed to pull herself up by a branch, but she couldn't let go without falling. He pulled her by the hair, which evoked a hysterical scream, as he shoved her roughly to the ground again.

Jasper reacted to the scream, not caring that the huge guy was in the process of beating him to a pulp. He ran to her, but was quickly flung back by gigantor.

"Sweet girl, did you think you would get away from me that easily?" James asked, his voice almost made him sound kind. Bella was blinking away the tears, while trying to see if Jasper was okay. Jasper wasn't even fighting, he was just trying to make his way to her, but was always stopped by the other one. Bella whimpered silently, _we are both going to die _She thought to herself.

James lowered himself to the ground slowly so that he was kneeling right next to Bella. She tried her best to glare at him but couldn't do so without wincing.

"Please," She uttered, trying to speak, but her whole body was screaming at her to lie still. James looked almost concerned, he leaned in lower so he could hear her.

"Please what?" He asked softly.

"Let… him… go," Bella managed to say. Jasper was nearly gaining the upper hand with the big guy, he had managed to throw him into a boulder, and rip off a piece of his arm, but he kept coming back.

"Hey Sam, she wants us to let him go!" James yelled to the big guy with a mischievous smile on his face. Sam grabbed Jasper by the throat and threw him back, jumping on him before his body collided with the ground.

"No!" Bella tried to scream as she watched Jasper being thrown around like a rag-doll. She was convulsing from crying so hard.

"Sam seems to be enjoying himself too much to let him go. I'm sorry, princess. I think I'm going to enjoy this just as much," James said sweetly, as he grabbed Bella's wrist and brought it to his mouth. She tried desperately tried to jerk herself out of his hold, but it was no use.

The moment she felt his teeth pierce her skin, she let out a heart-retching scream that she didn't know she was capable of, causing something in Jasper to break. He screamed as he grabbed Sam and twisted his neck until he heard the loud snap. He tore it off in an instant, knowing that it wouldn't completely kill him, but it would buy Jasper some time. He ran towards James, and lunged, only to find himself colliding with Edward.

Everything was fuzzy to Bella, but she could faintly see Alice, Rosalie, and Emmett ripping apart Sam, while Carlisle and Esme were starting a fire. Edward and Jasper were fighting with James, and that's the last thing she remembered when she felt the slow burn engulfing her wrist. The venom was starting to spread. She screamed again, and in an instant Carlisle was by her side.

Edward and Jasper managed to rip James apart while the rest threw the remaining pieces into the fire, and Carlisle called Edward over.

"You have to decide if you are going to let her turn now, or if you want to wait," Carlisle said quickly. Bella was shaking, and going in and out of consciousness.

"No, she wants me to do it!" Edward yelled hysterically; he couldn't let this happen to her.

"Then you need to suck the venom out," Carlisle said, trying to hold her body down.

"I won't be able to stop myself," He argued.

"You will find the way, but you have to do this now!" Carlisle yelled back, almost having to lay on her to stop her body. Edward hesitated for a second, saying a silent prayer to whomever was listening.

He brought her wrist up to his mouth, and slowly started to suck the venom out. It was like nothing he had ever tasted before, pure euphoria. There was no word to describe how delicious her blood was, even with the venom running through it.

He had never tasted anything so sweet, and he instantly lost himself in it. He couldn't get enough; he sucked harder, and slowly started to taste pure blood, without the venom. _So this is Heaven?_

"Edward, you are killing her!" Carlisle yelled. Bella was starting to lose color, her body had stopped shaking, and she looked visibly weak.

_Edward, you have to stop this._ He was trying so hard, but the monster inside was stronger than his will. He closed his eyes and started to think of Bella.

The first time he saw her since he came home, when they stepped awkwardly into an embrace.

The time he ate human food so she would be comfortable.

The time he played her lullaby to make her talk to him.

The time she tried to walk away from him, but he wouldn't let her.

The first time she uttered his name while she was sleeping.

The look they shared when he caught her for the first time.

The time she told him she loved him.

The kiss.

Edward pulled himself away from her as quickly as he could. If he were human, he was sure that he would be sobbing at the moment. He watched as everything seemed to go in slow motion. Carlisle wrapped Bella's wrist and picked her up, motioning for the rest of the family to follow. He looked to Edward after a moment.

"I am very proud of you."

**Please tell me if this makes up for the last few. I really would love to hear your thoughts! And I will respond this time around! **


	19. Author's Note

**Hey I hate to do this, but this is just an Author's Note. I'm sorry its taken so long for me to update, most of you know that I have been going through some rough times lately, and it seemed to get worse. One of my friends died in an accident and then the next week my aunt ends up in a coma. I have been super busy between school and taking care of my little sister and going to and from the hospital. I do want to continue this story, it just might take some time, so please bear with me. Thank you all for understanding!**


	20. Shine

**AN: Wow, it's been a long time since I have last updated. For those of you that have been keeping up, you know I have been going through a really rough time, so I am very sorry for my lack of updates. I really want to thank you all for being so patient, and also for all your kind words. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. This is just a really short update to let you know that I haven't given up on you guys. I will do more when I can!**

The following days were edgy for everyone, but after Bella recovered from the fight with James, everyone was able to relax. No one was blamed for the accident, and everyone went on as normal as they possibly could.

The sun looked like it wanted to peek through the clouds as Bella and Edward were laying in the meadow that afternoon. Edward had been quiet since the accident, but spent as much time with Bella as he possibly could.

"Why didn't you just let him change me?" Bella asked softly. She had been rubbing the scar on her wrist without realizing it, and it was making Edward feel terrible. He thought for a minute before answering her.

"Two reasons really. The first being that you wanted me to be the one to change you. I didn't think you wanted to live out your existence with James' venom running through you. And the second was because there are still a few things that I think you should enjoy as a human," Edward explained.

Bella couldn't help that the first thing that crossed her mind was sex, but she knew without a doubt that it was not what Edward had been referring to. She nearly giggled at her hormones, not understanding how she nearly died just days prior, and still her mind when straight to sex.

"I know I say it a lot, but thank you for saving my life," Bella whispered. Edward smiled, making her heart skip a few beats in the process.

"Like I said love, fate may try, but it is no match for me," Bella snuggled closer to Edward and sighed.

"Jasper's not really talking to me," She murmured dejectedly. Jasper had been with her until she woke up from the accident, he hugged her lightly when he realized she was okay, and since then he had been scarce.

"Jasper's not really talking to anyone. He feels to blame for what happened," Edward explained. It nearly killed him to listen to Jasper's thoughts. Jasper had been so depressed; his only thoughts were of how useless he believed he really was.

"It isn't his fault! I made him take me, there was no other choice. Don't blame him!" Bella was frantic, she started to stand up but Edward caught her hands lightly before she could.

"No one blames him, love. We have all told him that, this is just something that he is going to have to realize by himself. Nothing we say seems to help," Edward soothed. Bella shook her head in anger. She was going to have to have a talk with Jasper, and she didn't care what it took, she would make him see.

"He is so thick-headed sometimes," She pouted. Edward smiled and kissed her softly.

"I can clearly see where you got it from," He joked. Bella feigned resentment at his comment which resulted in more laughter from Edward. Bella growled softly and launched herself at him. He caught her softly in his arms, and let them roll back into the grass. She was on top of him, smirking softly, and Edward could swear he felt his dead heart flutter. _My god, she is beautiful._

"I love you," He breathed, smiling when he saw the familiar blush creep into Bella's cheeks. He brushed the hair from her face, and kissed her, hoping she could feel all the love he was pouring into it. When the kiss started to intensify, he lightly sat them back up.

The sun finally poked through the clouds above, and seemed to shine right on Edward's skin. A burst of light reflected on Bella, and her breath hitched in her throat at the beauty of it all. A thousand colors seemed to sparkle off of him, and Bella smiled to herself while thinking that it was more beautiful than any diamond ever would be.

"I was kind of looking forward to shining the way you do," Bella said quietly. She noticed Edward's eyes roam down her body, and when they finally found their destination, the sweetest smile lit up his face.

"You are shining, my love," He nearly whispered. She looked down to where Edward was looking, and realized that the scar on her wrist was shining just as brightly as Edward was. She laughed in excitement and threw herself into Edward's waiting arms.

**Okay, so I know Edward would probably not be so happy with anything regarding her scar or the accident, but I think if it was something small that would make Bella happy, that he could put aside his feelings and be happy for her once...**

**Aside from that, after going back and reading through the story, I am really unhappy with the way it came out, and I really don't feel all that close to the characters :( I was actually going to just stop writing, but all your reviews made me want to keep trying. So hopefully from here on out, it will be better for you guys. Thank you so much for sticking with me, and I will update as soon as I possibly can! Like always, please review, I know it was short, but I want to know if you guys want me to keep at it?**


	21. Sweet Child of Mine

***Ducks in quietly* So hi, I know it's been YEARS and there is honestly no real excuse for that. I am sorry, after everything started getting crappy I lost my muse for writing. I was still reading when I got the chance, but I had no good ideas and I didn't want to keep writing fillers.**

**If you have forgotten this story, here is a quick recap, (feel free to skip) Edward finds a young Bella almost being kidnapped, and brings her home. They decide to keep her, and one night she falls off her bed and starts to bleed and Edward nearly noms her blood, causing him to get all Edward and leave for years. He comes back and pretty much falls for her right away, but she's angry and bitter. She acts like a child for a while, and finally they confess their love. The Volturi find out about them harboring a human, and the girls and Carlisle go to Italy to see if they can fix things. The Volturi decide to let Bella live, but they have 4 months to change her. Then James comes and Jasper takes her out of town to keep her safe, but while hunting, James catches up to them with his big friend, and they beat the crap out of Jasper and James takes a bite out of Bella. Edward does his usual suck out the venom thing, and now Jasper is being all sad and not talking to people because he feels like this is all his fault. **

**This is pretty short, and after this, I promise I will get on to the point of the story, but this chapter had to be done.**

Since the run in with James, Bella had really seemed to lose focus at school. When you're told you have 4 months left of your human life, it kind of puts things into perspective. Most of the family seemed to be walking on eggshells around her, with the exception of Jasper, of course. He was still being distant, and it was really bothering her.

Bella figured that he would be in his funk for a bit would but eventually realize that he was being dumb, and go back to being his usual goofy self. But he was so withdrawn, he spent most of his time out of the house, or in his room. He even seemed to pull away a bit from Alice, and it had to end. Bella was tired of it, and Alice didn't deserve to suffer for it.

Luckily, Edward had been extremely supportive since the day in the meadow. While he still didn't want Bella to be changed, he was starting to accept that it was inevitable. He would now openly speak to her about what it was going to be like the first few months of her newborn life. He would explain certain feelings that he had gone through when he was first changed. While some things scared her, she knew that Edward would always be there.

"Full house," Bella smiled wickedly as she laid out her hand of cards on the table. Edward smirked at her, and threw down his hand of two pair.

"I think you're cheating," Edward laughed.

"I think you're a sore loser," Bella laughed as he reached over and started tickling her sides mercilessly. "You can't stand that I'm the only one that can beat you," Bella squealed between fits of laughter. Edward pulled her into his lap and kissed the spot where her shoulder and her neck met. It sent shivers throughout her body every time he did that.

"You're absolutely right," He said softly, raising up to kiss her properly.

"I know I am," She murmured resting her forehead against his for a moment. "But you're not getting out of this that quickly," She smiled, going back to her side of the table and shuffling the cards.

A moment later, Jasper and Alice walked through the back door, clearly coming back from a hunt. They were both silent, but Alice brightened when she noticed they were playing poker.

"Are you sweeping the floor with Edward's butt?" Alice smiled. Jasper stopped as well, but remained silent.

"Don't I always?" Bella smirked. Alice and Edward both laughed, but Bella was looking at Jasper. He smiled a little, but it didn't reach his eyes.

"Want to join us?" Edward asked.

"No, thank you. I'm going shopping, Bella you are welcome to join me." Alice smiled. Bella laughed out loud.

"I'll pass," She smiled at her sister. Alice rolled her eyes playfully but said bye after giving Jasper a quick peck on his cheek and flitting out the front door. Before he could leave, Bella called out to him.

"What about you, Jasper?" She asked hopefully. Jasper almost looked like he was going to agree for a moment, before shaking his head a little.

"Thanks, but I'm going to go clean up a little," He said quietly. He nodded to Edward and made his way upstairs. Edward looked over to Bella, and his heart broke a little at the expression on her face. As angry as Edward wanted to be with Jasper, Edward was the king of brooding, and if he was the one in Jasper's position, he would probably be acting even worse. But it was making Bella upset, and Edward was not okay with that.

He pulled Bella back into his arms, and held her close. She let him hold her for a few minutes, but he felt her stiffen in his arms, and he could almost sense the change in her emotions. She was _pissed_.

"Uh oh, angry kitten is ready to pounce," Edward smirked. Bella glared at him.

"This has to stop," She whispered quietly so only Edward would hear.

"Go get him, tiger," Edward said, kissing her forehead quickly.

Jasper was laying down with his eyes closed, sometimes, if he tried hard enough, he could get himself calm enough to almost feel as if he was sleeping. He seemed to be doing that a lot lately, it was better than dealing with the guilt.

He heard a soft knock at his door, and his senses became more alert. He could hear her heartbeat beating a little rapidly on the other side of the door. He reached out to feel her emotions, but oddly enough, he couldn't put his finger on what she was feeling.

"Come in," He called, not moving from his spot. He wasn't trying to be rude, but it was hard to look at her and not imagine the look of terror in her eyes when James bit into her wrist. That image had been haunting him ever since. His door opened and closed, and her scent filled his room quickly. As clumsy as she was, when she wasn't stumbling around, she was actually pretty quiet for a human. "What's up, Bella?" He asked, his eyes still closed.

The next moment shocked him, one minute he was lying comfortably on his bed, and then next Bella had pounced and was sitting on his chest, with her knees holding down his arms, and her hands were covering his mouth. He was too surprised to do anything, and while Bella was fully aware he could move her with no effort, she didn't seem too fazed by the thought.

"What the-" Jasper's voice was muffled behind Bella's hands, and she pushed down harder.

"You listen to me, Jasper Whitlock!" Bella started. Jasper winced, he knew when she used his last name that there would be major bitching coming his way. "I am sick and tired of you ignoring me and everyone else."

"Mpphh-" Jasper tried to protest but she growled at him.

"Shut it, you are going to listen to me, and not talk until I'm finished. Got it?" She asked.

"Yesh," He mumbled.

"I didn't say you could talk!" Bella growled. From downstairs, Jasper could hear Edward chuckling. "Now, you are being a jerk. I don't care that you think that you are responsible for what happened with James, because no one else thinks you are. If this was anyone else in the family, you wouldn't be blaming them, would you?" Jasper just shook his head, not wanting to piss her off further. "So then you know you're being dumb. This brooding crap has to stop, Edward is the broody one, not you!" Bella argued. He couldn't hold back his laughter when he felt Edward's indignation from downstairs. He really looked at Bella now, and his heart clenched when he saw how sad her eyes looked. "I want my brother back," She said softly, and her voice broke a little. That was enough to snap Jasper out of it.

He sat up slowly, holding onto her so she wouldn't fall. He wrapped his arms around her and held her tightly.

"I'm sorry," He whispered smoothing her hair back. "You're right, I'm being a jerk." He said softly. He could smell her tears, and it nearly broke him. They sat like that for a bit, and she finally pulled back and wiped her eyes.

"If you ever do something like that to me again, I will kick your ass. And in four months I'll be able to," She threatened playfully. Jasper chuckled and pulled her back into his arms again for another quick hug.

He would never admit it, but he kind of had a paternal feeling when it came to Bella. Carlisle was clearly the 'father figure' in their lives, but when Edward left, Bella had clung to Jasper more than anyone else. He was the one she came to for guidance or whenever she was scared or hurt. He was there to catch her when she fell, he was there to help her when she was having problems with school, and he was the one that felt the pain when he had to let her go and start making decisions for herself. He didn't want to take that from Carlisle, but he was more of a father to Bella than anyone else, and knowing that he caused her pain broke his heart.

"I know you will, Bells." He said softly. She jumped off from the awkward position she was in on his lap and sat down next to him, leaning her head on his shoulder.

"Love ya, Jas." She said.

"Love ya back, brat." He smiled. He still felt guilt, he still couldn't wash away the memories of her pain, but he wouldn't make her feel that way again.

"It's about damn time!" Edward called from downstairs, using Jasper's words from a while back. Bella and Jasper both smiled, things were going to be okay.

**If you are feeling friendly, please review, if you want me to give up because you no longer care, let me know =] If you want to yell at me, I will gladly take it!**


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